Battle Scarred
by Nightfang45
Summary: In war, a person can gain strength by facing adversity. But they can also lose life, freedom and sometimes even themselves. Set after the events of season 5.
1. Chapter 1

Battle Scared

Ch.1 War crimes

She was silent as she walked. Her head hung low and her eyes looking down at the floor. She noticed two sets of armored feet moving in her peripheral vision but was quick to ignore them. They were just two men among the dozen that were assigned as "escorts" to her new, unwilling place of residence. At first, she thought about using the metal cuffs to strike the guard closest to her, but Barriss Offee knew such actions would amount to nothing. She knew long before being accompanied by a dozen armed escorts that all she had left to do was go where she was told and think about what lead her to this moment.

She was a young mirialan woman whos very beliefs had been shaken to the point of seeing the Jedi, an order of peacekeepers and philosophers that had she once been proud to be a part of as a fraud. She was convinced that the Jedi council had allowed the order to become nothing more then soldiers and conquers who despite what saying otherwise were just as willing to wage war as their enemies. This realization made Barriss not only renounce the order and the republic but decide that a statement needed to be made, a statement that would show all government officials who only discuss and spectate the Clone Wars what it's effects look like up close. It would also show all young, impressionable Jedi what would be in store for them if they take part in the fighting.

This statement came in the form of a bomb implanted in a man serving the jedi at their temple. The explosion killed dozens, Jedi and civilian alike just as Barriss intended. An attack so violent in the republic's capital and the Jedi's home was sure to cause an uproar of protest against the war. Such an idea was all Barris needed to remove any sense of remorse for those caught in the blast.

When the deed was done there was one important thing Barriss had yet to do, have the blame be cast on someone else; another Jedi who at first Barriss had thought about leaving be only because in the past she called that Jedi her friend. But friendship did not change what Ashoka had become to Barriss, nor did it effect the thoughts she now had about her master and the rest of her once esteemed order. So she framed her once good friend and was had almost gotten away with it but was discovered at a crucial time by Ashoka's master, Anakin Skywalker.

Barriss tried to kill him quickly while they were alone in her room, but that lead to the two dueling throughout the Jedi temple until at last Barriss was outdone by Anakin's experience and strength. She was presented to the court, where she told them her reasons without any regret. Although she had been caught, in her mind she did not completely fail. She believed her statement could still open the eyes of those blinded by battle and help them step away from it before the dark side of the force clouded their minds further.

After being presented to the court she was given an official trial that many of the Jedi order's council members attended. She was almost given the death penalty what little support Barriss had during the trial convinced the court she a thing was not necessary.

Chancellor Palpetine himself addressed the public on the matter, calling it a tragedy and ensuring the public that Barriss would be imprisoned in Coruscants most secure facility and also insisted that the Jedi order itself not be blamed to ensure civilians won't try to seek vengeance but also to ensure the Jedi could continue to play their part in the chancellors agenda.

After the declaration, Barriss was moved from her imprisonment in the Jedi temple and was now on her way to the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center accompanied by a dozen of the republics senate guard. She was forced to change into an orange prison jumpsuit, making her her dark brown hair hang freely down to the base of her neck. She also had to wear specially designed handcuffs that bound her hands and wrists and would not release them unless those who were authorized deactivated them.

With her recollections complete Barriss turned her thoughts from the past to the present, she had just stepped off the transport shuttle and was now walking towards the entrance of the Detention Center located at the top of the massive prison. It was designed with the intention of allowing the guards constant observation of their prisoners, the top of the towering facility was where the guards ate, slept and watched over the inmates with state of the art surveillance systems.

Barriss guessed she would be handed off to the shocktroopers that were given guard duty instead of the front lines of the war that bared their name but was surprised to see two Jedi standing in front of the detention center doors. A bald, Caucasian human male with a small brown goatee and a pale yellow skinned Twi'lek both wearing traditional Jedi garbs and robes. Judging by the age they appeared to be Barriss assumed they were both experienced Jedi knights. As she approached the two men she could feel their worries towards her repressed behind reminders of Jedi teachings and masks of blank expressions.

"Greeting Barriss." The human Jedi said when the company of royal guard officially presented her to the Jedi. "I am Tyree Bulvare, this is Kovo Novuuna."

"We will be taking you to your cell." Kovo said with a calm, hushed tone of voice. "Please follow us."

With that said the royal guards left Barriss in the hands of Tyree and Kovo before heading back to the transport shuttle and boarding it. As that happened Barriss walked through the detention center entrance and then towards the elevator with Kovo at her left and Tyree a her right.

"Did the council not think I was secure enough without your help?" Barriss asked with slight sarcasm, though she was still curious about why Tyree and Kovo were there.

"You are not the only one we are here for." Tyree said as they stepped into the elevator.

"What do you mean by that?" Barriss asked while looking up at Kovo.

"There are others who have lost their way during the war." Kovo said as he turned his head to Barriss's direction. "We must keep them here, despite wishing otherwise."

Barriss scoffed and rolled her eyes at Kovo's remark, her reaction made Tyree's face have a brief twitch of anger before he calmed himself with deep breath through his nose.

"Am I the one who's lost their way?" Barriss asked Kovo with a serious tone and expression. "Tell me, when exactly did the Jedi allow themselves to become no better then soldiers and prison guards?"

"We do what we must to protect the republic and it's people." Tyree replied, his frustraion starting to show in his voice.

"Is that so?" Barriss asked sarcastically, she could sense Tyree's exposed feelings and decided to see how far he could pushed. "What do you think will happen if the republic wins this war?

"The Jedi will help them capture count Dooku and restore peace. Then the people will realize that and all those who sided with the separatists were nothing more then failed tyrants." Tyree answered confidently.

"Do you really believe It's that simple? That all those who follow the separatists would surrender so easily? That defeating one man like Dooku could end an entire war?" Barriss was not surprised by Tyree's simplicity, Jedi are not meant to have a full understanding of war which made their participation all the more disheartening to her. "The fighting would not stop, the republic would be keen to wipe out any factions of resistance left and the Jedi would offer to help without a second thought. Because that is all we are now, tools of war made from the dark side and crafted by our own ignorance."

"How dare you?" Tyree said with his anger showing again. "How dare you still think of yourself as a Jedi after what you've done?"

"That is enough." Kovo stated firmly, knowing he had to put a stop to the conversation before Barris made Tyree's anger turn to hate.

"No, it isn't." Tyree said while glaring back at Kovo, making the Twi'lek worry even more. "Answer me." Tyree stared at Barriss as he waited for his answer.

"I did not attack the order." Barriss replied calmly, no longer focused on goading Tyree as she explained herself. "I opened its eyes, showed everyone what we have thrown away our teachings to be apart of. You say I am no longer a Jedi, but I say I the only one who remembers what that should mean."

"You think what you did would be taken as a lesson?" Tyree asked with his right fist clenched. "Slaughtering innocents what meant to help?!" Tyree's voice was now raised, he tried to step towards Barriss but was stopped by Kovo's hand on his shoulder.

"Enough!" Kovo said with a raised voice as he stopped Tyree.

Tyree could see a a smirk on Barriss's face, despite his arguments he had begun to lose that which had always been key for a Jedi; his composure. This made him realize that his response was only adding to Barriss's belief that the Jedi were losing their way. After a few tense seconds went by Tyree decided to stepped back, take another deep breath and refuse to allow Barriss to enrage him again.

"We will have talk about this." Kovo said to Tyree out of concern.

"I know." Tyree replied quietly.

A few more moments of silence passed before Barriss realized something, they were still descending. She knew the detention center was a large compound even by Coruscant's standards but she also knew the cells were placed in the tower connecting the prisons base to the command center at the top. This made her wonder why they were taking so long when they could just take her to whatever cell she was assigned to via hover platform.

"Where are you taking me?" Barriss asked Kovo.

"The republic has decided that in a case such as yours...the highest security is needed." Kova stated, not hiding not the conflicting emotions he felt with such orders.

"I see." Barriss said with her eyes on the elevator doors.

Barriss now understood what would await her and for that reason let the last minute of the elevators decent be quiet. She stood ready to face whatever would be in store on the other side of the doors, not flinching physically or mentally when she could feel the elevator reach it's destination.

The doors opened with half a dozen men waiting on the other side. Five of them were standard prison shocktroopers, each with standard issue armor and equipment. The sixth man was not a clone and not a regular guard. He wore a uniform instead of armor, black boots, grey pants and a red overcoat that matched the red on parts of the shocktroopers armor. His thin, gray head of hair and slightly wrinkled face portrayed him as a man past his prime but his posture and direct way of speaking made it clear to Barriss that he was a man with experience in his field.

"Hello miss Offee." The old man said to Barriss as she stepped out the elevator with Kovo and Tyree. "I am your warden, you may refer to me as such or as Captain Lerron and nothing else." He said with emphasis on the last two words. "If you have any questions, ask them now."

In the brief silence before she replied, Barriss observed one thing about the captain. He was looking down on her, both literally and morally. It was a look she had become very familiar with since being caught, one Barriss thought she would be forced to get used to. Lerron was looking at her the same way she knew so many at her trial did, like she nothing more then a criminal.

"Where am I?" Barriss asked.

"The detention center's lowest point, also known as the maximum security level." Captain Lerron replied. "This is where we keep many of the most vile, dangerous and unstable criminals the republic has been forced to deal with. Considering the nature of your crimes you will be classified under all three." Lerron was not joking when he said that. "Anything else?"

"What makes this place so secure?" Barriss asked, hoping to learn anything useful about the prison security systems.

"You'll see soon enough." Lerron replied, dismissing the question. "Let's be on our way."

Lerron and his men lead Barriss with Tyree and Kovo following behind. Before getting to the actual cells Barriss was brought through the lower levels command center. Barriss saw rows of clones monitoring cameras and dozens more in full armor doing various duties. She saw only one door connecting the command center to the rest of the lower level and assumed the design was intentional. When she was lead through the cells Barriss observed everything from the wide, hexagon shaped hallways that were entirely black to the small, orb shaped cameras that were at every corner and center of the hallways.

The lower levels architecture was simple, but effective. It was essentially a spiders web with the command center appropriately placed in the middle with the only elevator. Beyond that was a hallway that went all the way around the command center and branched out into eight directions. Each of these separate paths dozens of prisoners kept in simple, square cells and then connected to another hallway that went all the way around before the paths continued.

Barriss saw six squads of guards on the way to her cell, five clones assigned to each of them. She also got a clear view of the type of prisoners kept in the lower levels, the worst kind. These were not simple brutes or thieves, they were madmen and the most vicious types of criminal. If a prisoner wasn't a huge, savage monster or a screaming lunatic they were just cold and quiet. It was the cold ones that caught Barriss's attention, in the rest she sensed nothing but rage and unbalance but the quiet ones often the opposite. They were calm and likely waiting for their chance to escape.

To be sane and sent to the lower level means you had committed the most horrid of atrocities and shown no remorse, this fact become clear to Barriss as the group leading her was approaching her cell.

"Sergeant, the door." Lerron ordered.

One of the clone trooper's used an access card to deactivate the orange ray shield covering the cell. The cell wasn't cramped but was in no way luxurious. Inside was a one person bed placed in the left corner with a sink and toilet on the opposite wall. "Get in." Lerron said to Barriss without sympathy.

Barriss did as was told without complaint, she knew there was no other logical choice in this situation. After she stepped inside one of the guards reactivated the ray shield, sealing her inside.

"You will be given three meals per day, you will not be given time outside and you will have no visitors unless the Jedi council and the supreme chancellor allow it." Lerron said before pointing at Tyree and Kovo. "These two will be here for five more days, then they will switch with two other Jedi."

"Is that really necessary?" Barriss asked.

"As I said, you're not the only one were here for." Tyree answered.

Barriss wasn't sure what Tyree meant, but was then clarified by another prisoner's shouting.

"I told you Lerron!" The loud, male voice said.

While Barriss's cell was on the left side wall the shouting came from the cell on the right side and last before the end of the hall. The bodies of the guards, Tyree and Kovo limited her view but through a small space between two of the shocktroopers Barriss could see Lerron approach a dark skinned human male.

Barriss was observant enough to gain information about the prisoner with just his appearence. He was young, likely in his early to mid twenties. This fact was highlighted by the adolescent stubble on his face that was black like his nappy, disheveled hair. He was also strong, appearing to be well over six feet tall with a muscular build and square jawline.

These were minor bits of information compared to two things about the prisoner that instantly caught Barriss's attention. The man had the same handcuffs as her, cuffs she knew were designed to restrain a force users hands in order to stifle their ability to use it. This meant he was either a separatist agent or perhaps another Jedi who decided to take a stand against the war.

The second detail about the prisoner that immediately caught Barriss's attention was the fact that he was able to keep himself standing despite the fact he was missing most of his right leg.

"I told you it was going to be another Jedi in that cell." The prisoner said to Lerron as he forcused all of his weight towards his foot to stand. "People can only be fooled for so long." He said with a smug look on his face. "How many does that make now?"

"With miss Offee here, three." Lerron said, causing the prisoner's smugness to fade. "Face it Lhod, you are not a victim. You're a criminal."

"It is not a crime to care!" Lhod screamed with anger, he almost stumbled as he shouted but managed to keep himself up. "I shouldn't be in here, it should be the one's that decide whether or not a planet is worth saving! If you think what I've done is anything compared to what the republic has allowed you're nothing but...!" Lhod as cut off mid sentence by Captain Lerron, who was able to make the cell soundproof with a button below the access card slot.

"We've heard it all before." Lerron said casually after silencing Lhod. "Some people just can't accept what they've done."

Although he couldn't be heard, Lhod lips could easily be read as he yelled "What i've done?!" before trying to lunge at Lerron only to be stopped and electrocuted by his cell's ray shield. He fell back, his body convulsing from the shock for a few seconds. When it was over, Lhod was left lying on the floor screaming obscenities at Lerron that could not be heard. The captain turned away from Lhod's cell, shaking his head with sigh of exasperation.

"I hope you won't allow your sanity to go as well." Lerron said as he walked back to Barriss's cell. "One mad Jedi is irritating enough."

Barriss opened her mouth to speak but Lerron cut her off by showing his hand hovering over her cell's soundproof switch. She glared at Lerron for silencing her but the captain stood unfazed.

"You have been told everything you need to know." Lerron said with his arms behind his back. "Goodbye, miss Offee."

Lerron, his squad and Tyree walked away from Barriss to return to the command center, only Kovo stayed long enough to speak.

"You have only one chance to leave this place." Kovo said as he stepped toward Barriss. "You must admit that you have fallen and strive to pull yourself back into the light, only then will the council consider arguing your release."

"And why would they do that?" Barriss asked sarcastically.

"I cannot say for certain that they would, but I'd like to think they want to help and I'd rather not see another Jedi left here in the dark side as...others have been." Kovo said as he looked at Lhod's cell and for a moment the cell across from his.

"The Jedi are the ones in dark." Barriss said, feeling insulted. "I was the one trying to pull all of you out of it. If you truly wish to help then you stop all the others before they become villains."

"Jedi are taught to be protectors, and that is what we are." Kovo stated.

"We are not protecting anything!" Barriss remarked with a cold look. "We murder, slaughter and conquer for a republic that wants it's people to believe it's noble when in reality it is lead by corrupt politicians that embrace the dark side without even practicing it."

Kovo opened his mouth to respond but didn't. He could sense Barriss's feelings of confidence in her cause and her frustration at it's result. Despite wanting to believe otherwise seeing Barriss so certain of herself made him wonder if Tyree and those who thought like him were right to consider the jedi imprisoned in the lower levels as nothing more then lost causes.

"I'm sorry you believe that." Kovo said after a few moments of silence. "I can only hope you soon understand how things really are." Kovo then left to join Tyree and the others without giving Barriss time to speak again.

Barriss watched Kovo walk away but thought nothing of him or his ideals. Her mind was completely focused on one thing, she was not the only Jedi imprisoned. She first looked toward Lhod, who was sitting near the ray shield to his cell and eyeing Barriss up and down. She took note of the intensity of his stare and his bright, yellow eyes because in the past her former master told her such eyes could be a sign of ones fall to the dark side.

She did not think there was any more to learn about to Lhod at the time and instead turned her head to look at the wall on her left. On the other side was the last cell in that section of the and Barriss knew there was a Jedi on the other side of the wall. She felt the urge to call out and see if anyone would answer but assumed that would just lead to the guards coming back. She stood still as she faced the wall, her curiosity being the only on her mind until something else worked it's way in. Something that almost caused Barriss to jump in surprise, a voice.

"Do not react..." The male voice said in Barriss's mind, it's words being the only reason Barriss was able to stop her bodies natural response of surprise. "Do not look around, you will not see me."

Barriss quickly looked down at the floor in hopes that the camera in her cell wouldn't see her face and wide eyes. She was certain the voice was coming from the cell beside her but also knew that the voice didn't want her to react to ensure Lerron and his men wouldn't feel the need to investigate.

"All you have to do is think about what you wish to say and I will hear you." The voice said. "Ask whatever you wish as long as you don't arouse suspicsion in the process."

Barriss knew telepathy was possible so she had no trouble believing that was how someone was speaking to her. She stepped towards her bed and took a seat on it, her eyes still looking at the floor as she cleared her mind of everything but her first question.

"Who are you?" Barriss said in her mind.

"My name is Sevrik Komen, a man who's story likely resembles yours." The voice replied, speaking with a refined manner and accent.

"You are a Jedi?" Barriss thought in response.

"I was, but have not been for some time. Now I am a captive here like you." Sevrik's voice said calmly.

"Why are you here?" Barriss thought.

"I have been charged with crimes of treason towards the republic." Sevrik's voice said.

"But what did you do?" Barriss asked, her curiosity enticed again.

"What I was told, and not nothing more." Sevrik's voice answered. "But now it's my turn for questions. first, what is first name miss Offee?"

Hearing her last name made Barriss realize Sevrik must have been paying close attention when the guards brought her to her cell. This made her wonder what kind of man Sevrik would turn out to be.

"Barriss." She said after a moments hesitation.

"Well then Barriss Offee, I have one more question for you." Sevrik's voice said, taking a few moments to pause before speaking again. "Would you like to leave this place?"

Barriss's eyes were wide again, now fully aware of why Sevrik was conversing with her. The man was likely going to use her as a pawn in his plan to escape, but as Barriss looked around her cell she knew it was not a place wanted to call home.

She had no plan to escape on her own and was aware of how hard it would be to accomplish. Even if she did find a way out of her cell she knew nothing little about the facilities layouts, but perhaps Sevrik did. After a little more time to contemplate, Barriss decided she would take the opportunity presented to her.

"What did you have in mind?" Barriss asked with her eyes on the wall again.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch.2 Motives

It was three days after Barriss's incarceration when a miltary transport craft entered Coruscant's atmosphere and approached the Jedi temple. Although able to fit more then a dozen troops inside the ship had only one passenger, a Jedi master named Luminara Unduli. The Mirialan woman was brought to the temple alone at her own request. It had become a common thing since she had learned of recent events, isolation made it easier for Luminara to focus on wondering how her padawan could do such terrible things.

Once a proud master and teacher, Luminara's usual poise and self-assurance had been were lacking after she heard the news. Years of being taught to keep emotions in check had allowed her to hide the distress to most, but the Jedi that spoke to Luminara could sense her true feelings. The news had struck harder then any physical pain she had ever felt.

There were few greater losses a master could experience then to have their padawan turn to the dark side. Luminara had heard stories of other masters who had gone through the same, such as the deceased master Qui Gon Jin with his first student and even grandmaster Yoda with Count Dooku. As her transport began to land in the hanger, Luminara hoped Barriss was nothing like those who had fallen before.

The hanger was cleaned and reopened to ships since the bombing orchestrated by Barriss, but the damage could still be seen. Melted scorch marks from the blast, holes in the walls and floor from shrapnel. The clearest sign was the still mourning faces on many people in the hanger, the memories of those killed in the explosion were still fresh.

Since the incident, security in the temple had to be increased for cautions sake. Because of this, two masked temple guards accompanied three members of the Jedi council who stood in the hanger to greet Luminara. The group was made up of masters Yoda, Saesee Tiin, and Mace Windu.

"Greetings Master Unduli." Mace said after Luminara stepped off the transport and began to approach.

"Greetings, masters." Luminara replied with a respectful bow of the head.

"I'm sorry you had to return under these circumstances." Saesee said.

"A tragic thing, this is." Master Yoda said as he closed his eyes and remembered the lives he felt lost when the bombing happened. "A bright student, Barriss always was. To lose her way, I had never imagined." He said after opening his eyes to look at Luminara.

"Neither had I..." Luminara said in a somber tone. "When can I see her?"

"We've arranged everything with the detention center, the shuttle should arrive in less then two hours." Mace answered.

"Good." Luminara said, despite feeling tense at the thought of seeing Barriss.

"Do you know what you are going to say?" Saesee asked.

"No, but I have to see her. I need to know what drove her to do...this." Luminara said as she looked around the hanger.

"Understand this, I do." Yoda remarked. "But as you wait, wishes to speak with you; someone does."

"Who would that be?" Luminara asked.

"Master Urr'ek, are you familiar with him?" Mace said.

"No, I don't recall that name." She replied.

"A surprise, that is not." Yoda said. "Away from the temple, Master Urr'ek often was."

"I see." Said Luminara. "Where may I find him?"

"He is waiting for you in the archives." replied Saesee. "Would you like us to take you to him?"

"No, that will not be necessary." Luminara said, once again preferring to be alone.

"As you wish, we will contact you when the shuttle arrives." Mace said.

"Thank you." Luminara said with another bow of the head and an attempt at a smile.

The three masters and the guards accompanying them stepped aside for Luminara. They waited until she had left the hanger before speaking to each other.

"She is still struggling." Saesee stated.

"Clear, that is." Yoda said while looking up at his fellow council members. "Important, the bond between master and padawan has always been. To have that bond broken, terrible it is." Yoda said, the truth in his words coming from experience. "Hope we must, that Master Unduli can find a way to reach her padawan."

The masters returned to the council chamber, as they did Luminara made her way to the archives. She noticed the looks on peoples faces as she passed them. Fellow Jedi looked at her with pity and those who worked in the temple looked with anger. The workers were told that Barriss's master was not involved, but some still looked at Luminara like she as an accomplice.

As she entered the archives, Luminara looked for any jedi she did not recognize. It was not long before she heard a greeting from a deep, gravely voice behind her.

"Hello, Master Unduli."

Luminara turned around to see a whipid male who was large by even his species standards. He stood almost seven feet tall, his body thick with muscle and and dark brown fur. His face was the only part with skin exposed, with two large tusks protruding from the lower jaw. He wore only a belt with a loin cloth attached and on the belts right side was a lightsaber with an extended hilt fitted for his large hands.

"Master Urr'ek?" Luminara asked.

"Yes, it is nice to meet you." Ur'ekk said earnestly.

"Thank you." Luminara replied. "Please tell me, why did you ask to meet with me?"

Master Urr'ek paused before answering the qesution, sighing with grief before he spoke.

"Please, take a walk with me." Urr'ek said.

Luminara nodded her head and walked beside master Urr'kk through the many records of history collected by the Jedi order.

"I have heard of you Master Unduli, but the words of others is not enough to truly know a person." Urr'ek said as they walked side by side.

"I agree." Luminara said. "But I must admit, I've heard nothing of you until today."

"I am among the jedi who lived and worked outside of the temple. Before the war I was often defending delegates and clearing out smugglers dens. When it began I was quickly put on the front lines...along with my padawan." Urr'ek said with obvious grief.

Luminara stopped walking and looked at Master Urr'ek with concern, his intentions had become more clear to her.

"I understand what you're going through, far more then most." Master Urr'ek said earnestly.

"Then please..." Luminara said. "Tell me about your padawan."

"His name is Lhod. He is strong, capable; a fine student throughout the years. Seeing him rise to knighthood was one my most treasured moments." Urr'ek said.

"I felt the same for Barriss." Luminara said, briefly smiling as she remembered the day she was able to tell her padawan that her training was complete.

"I thought he would grow into a fine master one day, but almost a year ago Lhod suffered a loss so severe he could not recover from it." Urr'ek stated before looking left and right to make sure no one else would hear him. "It broke the boy, and in his rage Lhod killed Master Var Nul."

"Excuse me?!" Luminara asked, almost to baffled to keep her voice down.

Luminara knew of Var Nu and had exchanged brief words with him on occasion. He was a middle aged devaronian Jedi master who Luminara saw as wise, courteous and a pleasantly lighthearted in conversation. But she also remembered being present for Var Nul's funeral.

It was a ceremony performed far too often since the war began, many Jedi would gather around veiled corpses while Yoda or another council member talked about the deceased and how they would go on to become one with the force. Recalling that day and the words that were said about Var Nul is what made Luminara so puzzled by Urr'ek's claim.

"I was there to see the body." Luminara said quietly. "Master Yoda told us he was assassinated by Asajj Ventress."

"The council had decided it was best to hide the truth." Urr'ek admitted,

Luminara was shocked, while not a member of the council she had been one of the few Jedi they would occasionally turn to when they wanted an extra opinion on important matters.

"I cannot imagine them doing such a thing." She said.

"Nor could I, but it was decided that the Master Var's murder should be falsified. At first I was against it, but I agreed when Master Mundi said the truth could create worry among the order and make the republic afraid of other Jedi doing something similar." Urr'ek explained.

"I see, but...why did he do it?" Luminara asked hesitantly, she was not sure how sensitive the subject was.

Urr'ek opened his mouth to speak but said nothing at first, after a moments thought he spoke again but with a heavy heart.

"It was my fault." Urr'ek confessed somberly. "I knew taking him could be a risk, I saw the signs but did not do not enough to stop Lhod from reacting the way he did. But that is no excuse for those he's killed."

"Var Nul wasn't the only one?" Luminara asked with worry.

"No." Urr'ek said as he shook his head. "The first were pirates, then Var Nul and the last were clones that stood in the way as tried to escape."

"But what actually happened to him?" Luminara asked.

"He lost...everything." Urr'ek said while he eyed the ground. "His home was destroyed by the pirates, all those he knew before I met him were killed." Urr'ek's words became harder to say, his throat began to feel tight.

She wanted to ask more, but felt like his vague answers were intentional. Instead, Luminara decided to change the subject.

"How far did he get before the clones stopped him?" Said Luminara.

"They didn't." Urr'ek said to correct her after a long sigh. "I did. He tried to take a ship, but I stood in his way. Nothing I said would calm him down. He told me to stand aside, I refused. So he attacked." He said with a hint of pain in his voice.

Luminara was speechless, she understood what it was like for a master to see their padawan fallen but was fortunate enough to not know what it would feel like to face them.

"Lhod tired to overpower me, but couldn't. The fight was not long but as it happened Lhod made me lose focus, it almost me cost my life but In the last moment I reacted and I..." Urr'ek struggled to make himself say it. "I severed his leg."

Urr'ek's words made Luminara gasp in shock, he simply sighed in response.

"He was detained, and then I told the council what happened. They went to the Chancellor, and after some debate they decided to hide the truth." Urr'ek explained with his arms crossed. "A week later, I lead my troops on a mission to capture separatist factories. The official story is that Lhod was caught off guard by commando droids."

"That must have been terrible to go through." Luminara said sincerely. "I'm sorry."

"I can say the same to you." Urr'ek remarked. "But instead I'll get to the point. You see, my padawan was placed in the same prison as yours. You will likely see him. When you do, I hope you understand how crucial that time with Barriss is." Urr'ek said before his tone turned serious and he stepped closer to Luminara, making Urr'ek have to look almost straight down to see her face. "You must choose your words with the utmost care, do not let anything she says dishearten you. As her master, you may be the only one who can help her. Do not forget that, above all else."

Luminara knew this was not idle advice, Urr'ek's words came from his own tragic experience.

"I understand." Luminara said with a nod.

"That is good, I do not want another master to fail as I have." Urr'ek said grimly.

"I promise to head your words Master Urr'ek." Luminara said reassuringly.

"Please do." Urr'ek replied.

He was about to speak again but was interrupted by something tugging at back of his right leg. Urr'ek turned around and looked down to see four small younglings standing behind him. All of them appeared to be no older then seven.

"Hello little ones." Urr'ek said, quickly hiding his feelings behind a big smile. "Will you greet Master Unduli?"

"Hello Master Unduli." The younglings all said politely.

"Hello." Luminara replied, her mood somewhat lifted by the younglings presence.

"Master, can we practice outside today?" Asked a little rodian girl.

"Of course." Urr'ek said, making all the children happy. "Forgive me, but I must go." Urr'ek said as he looked back at Luminara.

"I thought you worked outside the temple." Luminara said out of curiosity.

"Not for some time, war has left a bitter taste in my mouth. Now I prefer to help find and guide our future." Urr'ek said as he looked at the younglings proudly.

"That is a noble cause." Luminara said with a real smile, able to see the way Urr'ek coped with his problems. "I hope you have all have a good lesson." She said while looking at the younglings.

"And I hope I was able to help." Urr'ek said as stuck out his hand. "Both you, and Barriss."

"So do I." Luminara said as she shook his hand with hers, the size of Urr'ek hand made him grasp almost half of her forearm.

"Farewell, Master Unduli." Urr'ek said after shaking hands.

With that said, Urr'ek left the archives. The younglings followed after saying goodbye.

Luminara decided to spend the rest of her spare time meditating. Her eyes were closed, her legs crossed and her mind tried to clear out all negative thoughts. She meditated for more then an hour but stopped when Master Yoda entered the room.

"Arrived, the shuttle has." Master Yoda said as he approached Luminara with the help of his cane.

"Thank you Master." Luminara said as she stood up. "I will leave right away."

"Difficult, I know this is." Yoda said. "Luck I wish you, Master Unduli."

Luminara thanked the grandmaster for his best wishes before heading back to the hanger. The shuttle had two shocktroopers assigned to accompany her for procedures sake, aside from a brief greeting she ignored them during the flight.

She looked out of the window as the shuttle left the temple and flew through Coruscant. Hundreds of buildings and thousands of vehicles passed by her. In the midst of it all, the senate building came into her view. It made Luminara look away from the window and think about the day of her padawans trial.

She had not been there physically, the month long defense of a republic fuel depot forces kept her away from Corucant. After hearing the terrible news about Barriss, Luminara was told by the council that she would have a chance to speak at the trial via holoprojector.

Things did not start out well, when Luminara's presence was projected in the middle of the courtroom she was greeted with cold stares and whispers among the many members of the court. Aside from a few senators and the row of court members that were made up of Masters from the council the majority of the court had become callous towards Barriss and perhaps the Jedi in general.

Before being given a chance to speak Luminara had to hear the prosecutor, a man named Tarken; suggest something horrible. He believed the most reasonable punishment for Barriss's crimes was death.

"If the court allows the likes of Barriss Offee to live it will only show that we are forgiving to those who commit acts of treason and murder. She is a dangerous, delusional Jedi turned terrorist that would likely try to convince others to join her cause if given the chance. I insist the court make the most logical choice and let the rest of the republic know we will not allow the likes of this young woman to go unpunished."

Luminara spoke in Barriss defense, but her case was not taken well. She spoke of her history with Barriss, of the many difficulties they had faced and lessons they had learned together. After that, she tried to convince the court that Barriss committed her crimes because she was confused and at some point must have been misguided by something or someone. Tarken response was claiming Luminara's sentimentalism made her unable to be taken seriously as the defense.

At that point the only person who could sway the courts opinion was Barriss. But she did not just ignore Luminara's help, she spoke against it.

"My mind is clear as it's ever been and I have not been misguided. Every action I took was done in sound mind and by my own design. I will not pretend to feel guilty, no matter how much my former master may want me to."

The words were like knives in Luminara's heart. Barriss would not even look at Luminara's hologram as she dismissed her attempts to help.

The prosecution felt assured in their victory. Tarken chose to rest his case so the court so the court would move on to deciding a verdict.

Luminara wanted to speak again, but was silenced by the court. The chancellor agreed with Takren's points, making hope seem all but lost for Barriss. She remembered the tense knot in her stomach that was felt as the chancellor was about to call the court in to decide the verdict but also remembered the feelings of hope and relief that came when another person stood as Barriss's defense, senator Padme Amidala of Naboo.

It was a surprise to everyone in the courtroom, the senator had walked in unannounced and referring to herself as Barriss's spokeswoman upon arriving. Tarken tried to object her involvement the senator was shrewd enough to make his complaints seem irrelevant to the court.

Barriss did not refuse the senators help because of what appeared to be curiosity, she either wanted to know why Padme walked in or because she wanted to see if the senator would actually help.

No words were spoken between Luminara and Padme but the senator did give the Jedi master one look before giving the court her official case. Even though it was seen as a hologram, the senators confident smile was enough to make Luminara believe Barriss had a chance to live. Padme's speech that day had an effect on Luminara, and likely other members of the court as well.

"Senators, Masters, esteemed Chancellor. It was just days ago when I stood here to defend a Jedi that I believed did not commit a heinous crime. Therefore, I understand if you are confused to see me again now that the true culprit has been found." Padme said while gesturing towards Barriss. "It would be foolish of me to argue Barriss Offee's innocence, that is not why I'm here. The reason I once again stand before the court is to convince you all that Tarken is wrong and that death is not the answer." Her conviction echoed with her voice throughout the court. "We must face so many dying already, no one could count the number of lives lost since the clone wars began. I cannot deny Barriss Offee has taken lives, but I will not let the republic think killing a killer is the answer."

The prosecution tried to object again, saying such ideas would create a republic that appears weak to it's enemies. But it was not considered a legitimate reason to object, so Tarken was overruled once again. With him silenced senator Amidala was free to continue.

"Weakness would be resorting to our enemies tactics. Victory means nothing if we must become what we are fighting, we must prove that we have superior strength in both our conflicts and ours morals. I believe we could rehabilitate Barriss, make her see that she is a criminal and not the patriot she thinks she is. If we succeeded, it could be the first of many offenders that could be turned into proper citizens. Please, members of the court; give this young woman a chance to be given the help she needs instead of throwing her body on top of an already massive pile."

Her speeches impact could be seen on members of the court, it was enough to make the debate regarding Barriss's sentence last a few hours. Luminara was on edge for every second they took to decide, she had faced many life threatening situations in her life but the seasoned master had never felt so nervous in her entire life until that day.

A small relief from the wait came when Senator Amidala briefly appeared in front of the courts holoprojector to speak to Luminara.

"I am sorry I can't do more Master Unduli, a friend asked me to come and help you. I cannot say who, but I promise they want to help Barriss as much as you do. I might not be here for the sentence, it seems the chancellor wants to speak with me about barging in. But I wish you both the best of luck."

They did not speak again, after Padme left she was not again until the court had finished debating. The sentence was given out by none other then Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

"After much debate, the court has decided to favor the defense. Though Barriss Offee has committed terrible crimes against the republic, the court and I agree with senator Amidala; we should not allow the republic to become cold and unforgiving. Barriss Offee's life will be spared, but she will be imprisoned for crimes of treason and murder."

Tarken was quiet but obviously angry, Padme and the council were relieved. All Luminara felt in that moment was joy, smiling for the first time since she heard about what her padawan had done.

When the trail was over Luminara was offered the chance to speak to Barriss but refused. She decided it would be best to confront Barriss in person. That decision lead her back to the temple and onto the transport shuttle that was about to arrive at the prison Barriss was sent to.

Luminara then realized how close she was to facing her. She was nervous and uncertain about what she would say, but Luminara knew this was something that had to be done. She had to find out what made Barriss become what she saw at the trial.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3 Student and Master

Luminara's mood was bleak as she arrived at the detention center. After getting out of the shuttle Luminara was greeted on the landing platform by a warden and two clone guards.

"Master Unduli, I am Captain Lerron." Lerron said formally. "I am in charge of maximum security. Please, after you." He said before stepping aside to be courteous.

The captain and his men lead Luminara through the primary command center, neither of them spoke until the arrive at the main elevator and it began its descent.

"How did Barriss react to her cell?" Luminara asked the captain.

"Well, compared to most." Lerron answered with his hands behind his back. "She understands the rules and shows no sign of attempting escape. If she can keep it up for a year or so she could be considered for the good behavior list."

"That is...good to hear." Luminara lied. "Is she allowed time outside?"

"No." Lerron said bluntly. "It may seem cruel, but you must understand that this meant for only the worst kind of offenders. These prisoners have done horrifying things, usually for self gain or some twisted pleasure. Your padawan seems to think the anarchy she caused will do good, so I would have to classify her as delusional."

Lerron's remarks agitated Luminara, but she didn't show it.

"I see." Luminara said, it had become her usual response to depressing matters.

"You won't like hearing it, but the pride she has for her work makes her seem less like a Jedi and more like a criminal." Lerron stated with a deadpan expression.

He was right, though it pained Luminara to accept it. No matter how much she wanted to disagree with Lerron, Luminara knew she couldn't. Everything Barriss had said and done left her almost impossible to defend.

Nothing else was said during the descent. When they arrived, Lerron lead Luminara into the lower level's command center and introduced her to a pair of fellow Jedi.

"Jedi Knights Kovo Novuuna and Tyree Bulvare." Lerron said in an official sense, as if he was introducing a soldier.

"Greetings master Unduli." Tyree said with a small bow of his head. "You have a great reputation, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you, the feeling is mutual." Luminara replied before looking at Kovo, who seemed familiar but she couldn't recall how. "Have we met before?"

"I have seen you in the temple now and again, but we have never had the chance to speak." Kovo said to clarify.

"These two are here for special cases, like your padawan." Lerron explained. "At the weeks they will be sent back to the temple and two more knights shall take their place."

"Would Lhod Udredd be another one of those cases?" Luminara asked, catching Lerron off guard.

"Did the council tell you about him?" The Captain asked with a raised brow. "I recall them saying Lhod was to be kept a secret."

"Then what about Tyree and Kovo?" Luminara asked.

"The council selects specific pairs of Jedi for this duty, this is not their first time here." Lerron explained.

"In fact it's our fifth." Kovo said.

"Now tell me, did the council also mention our first Jedi prisoner?" Lerron asked despite already predicting the answer.

"There's another?" Luminara said, as Lerron thought she would.

"Yes, a former master named Sevrik Komen." Lerron replied.

"Why is he here?" Luminara asked with a worried tone.

"Treason, sabotage, assassination..." Lerron said as if going down a list. "Let's just say he's done enough to be here for more then one life's sentence. Now please, follow us."

Tyree and Kovo joined the small group as it left the command center. As they walked past the prison cells Luminara kept her eyes forward and ignored the prisoners kept there. She had seen more then enough vile people in her lifetime. The things that could be seen in the lower levels did not bother her, but the sounds that could be heard did.

Prisoners screamed, but could not be heard because their cells were set to soundproof. There was humming, tapping, singing and anything else prisoners could think of to pass the time before they were reduced to rambling madly. This, combined with the constant sound of the guards boots hitting the floor in unison gave the lower level a very dire atmosphere.

Tyree and Kovo could sense their fellow Jedi's unease, but the two did not have the same reaction. Tyree believed Luminara cared more about her padawan then all those she killed while Kovo was more empathetic and could see the pain she was going through.

"I have heard great stories about you and Barriss. In fact, Master Yoda mentioned your names the last time we spoke." Kovo said as he walked beside Luminara.

"Really?" Luminara wondered. "What did he say?"

"He told me I was ready for a padawan of my own, and said with luck I could share a bond like that of Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee." Kovo said happily, not just to comfort Luminara but also because he was truly glad to meet someone the grand master thought so highly of.

"Really?" Luminara asked, Kovo answered by nodding his head. "I'm honored he would say that." She said with a slight smile. "But from the way you talk I assume you didn't listen to him."

"You're right." Kovo admitted casually. "He think I am ready to pass on my knowledge, but I don't agree. I have always seeked knowledge. Even after becoming a knight I continued to read and research a variety of subjects because I knew there was still so much to learn. Not just about the force or the Jedi, but the galaxy itself."

"So you're a scholar?" Luminara asked with intrigue.

"I suppose, but I wouldn't call myself that. I simply have a thirst for knowledge." Explained Kovo. "I told Master Yoda that I may consider taking on a padawan when my curiosity is satisfied."

"Will it ever be?" Luminara asked, now amused by Kovo's mindset. "The galaxy is vast, do you think you can learn everything about it?"

"I doubt it." Kovo replied. "But who knows? I may be seeking knowledge until the end of my days."

"But how much good would just collecting knowledge do?" Luminara asked, expecting an answer back like a teacher would when asking a question to their student. "Without someone to pass on what you've learned it could all unnoticed once you are gone."

"That is what holo-journels are for." Kovo said jokingly. "But you could be right." Kovo said after a moments thought. "Perhaps I'll know for sure when I become a master as well."

"Perhaps you will." Luminara said with a full smile on her face.

For a few brief moments Luminara felt better, talking to Kovo and giving him advice gave her the same feeling of satisfaction she always felt when she taught Barriss.

"I plan to speak to the council when we're done here." Tyree said as he walked ahead of the two other Jedi. "We need to make sure our younglings are taught properly now more then ever."

The quick glance Tyree gave Luminara was enough to imply his meaning. She was insulted, but had no response to what Tyree said. Meanwhile, all Kovo could do was shake his head in disappointment.

"Please, forgive him." Kovo said despite knowing he would have to have another chat with Tyree later. "He has been agitated since the war began, the council thought it would be best to keep him off the front lines." Kovo said quietly so Tyree didn't notice.

"It's alright." Luminara lied. "We have all been affected by it." She said truthfully.

Kovo nodded in agreement, the group then arrived at Barriss's cell. Lerron gestured with his hand to tell Luminara to stop before he stepped in front of the cell and spoke to the prisoner inside.

"Ms. Offee, you visitor is here." Lerron said, he waited a for a response but was not given one. "Corporal, the door." Lerron said to one of the clone guards.

The guard Lerron addressed pulled out an access card to deactivate the cells rayshield, the other clone followed protocol and stood in front of the cell with his rifle at the ready. Tyree and Kovo stood beside him, their hands hovering over their lightsabers.

"Step inside." Lerron said to Luminara. "You have one hour."

Luminara took a deep breath, she had imagined this moment dozens of times. Whenever she did there was no way to guess how there conversation would play out and now was no different. Nervous was not nearly enough to describe what Luminara felt as she slowly stepped towards the cell.

Inside was Barriss, sitting on the cells bed and looking down at the floor. But when Luminara stepped into view she turned to look at her former master. Her eyes followed Luiminara as she walked into the cell to stand in front of her.

"Hello Barriss." Luminara said.

"Hello." Barriss replied in a callous monotone.

Forces senses were not needed to feel the tension in the air, both mirialans seemed unsure of what the other was going to do. Luminara was cautious and wanted to pick her words carefully while Barriss was ready to argue if she had to.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner." Luminara said truthfully. "I was delayed by..."

"Another mission?" Barriss said for Luminara. "That's no surprise." She asked flatly.

"Are you alright? The isolation can't be easy." Luminara replied, ignoring Barriss's cold response.

"It's not." Barriss replied sharply. "When I'm alone I can't use my hands and when I'm allowed to it's so I can eat with rifles pointed at me. There's a large transdosian in the cell across from me that often stares like he wants to make me his food or worse and the only chance I have to leave this place is to bear with it for who knows how long." Barriss said in a calm, but bitter rant. "Does that answer your question?"

Luminara had no response at first, she felt every bit of frustration and contempt building up inside Barriss. It made her fear that the conversation could go from uncomfortable to terrible. It was likely the most important meeting the master had ever had with her padawan and knowing that made Luminara realize she could not afford to be timid. The past shared with Barriss would have to be ignored in order to confront her properly.

"It does, now answer this..." Luminara said firmly. "Why did you kill those people?"

Barriss had been slouching since Luminara arrived, but her question made the former jedi sit up straight and give the older mirialan her full attention.

"Do you really need to ask?" Said Barriss. "I was hoping at least you could understand."

"How could I understand mass murder?" Luminara asked, baffled at her padawans assumption.

"I don't mean understand my motives, I mean you should have understood what drove me to them since you played a major role." Barriss said as she stood up.

"Excuse me?" Luminara asked, now just confused.

"I had these thoughts for some time, but it was that day on Shudeer when I me realize they had to be more then that." Barriss said, her brow furrowed in anger.

Luminara knew what Barriss was talking about, she was about to argue against it but had already tried and failed some time ago. It was an event that Luminara hoped would some day be forgotten, an accident that was seen as otherwise. After it happened, Luminara's relationship with Barriss was damaged. But she never would have guessed it could lead her padawan down such a dark path.

"We have been over this." Luminara said with a disheartend wisp in her voice. "It was never my intention to..."

"Oh don't even start!" Barriss said, her voiced raised briefly."You already tried this before. We both know what you did, so stop using me as an excuse." She said coldly.

Luminara took a step back from shock, not once in their time together had Barriss ever been so bitter towards her.

"What I said was the truth and if I had done nothing you would have died." Luminara replied. "Even now, I do not regret saving you."

"Really?" Barriss asked, not moved by her master words. "Even after what I've done?"

"What you did was horrible Barriss, there's no other way to describe it. You murdered dozens, including those you conspired with and were even willing to let your friend be punished for it. You are not the person I once knew. You've become something different, something dark." Luminara said.

"Then why bother with me?" Barriss asked smugly, thinking she could see through Luminara's facade.

"Because despite what you've become you are still my padawan. I came here to understand what made you change and do whatever I can to turn you back into the woman I once knew." Luminara replied.

Barriss's first reply was a scoff, which almost made Luminara get angry.

"It's obvious why you're here." Barriss said. "You're here to see if I'm deranged. You wanted to find me mad and rambling so you could play savior and "fix me"."

"I would never want to see you like that." Luminara said, holding back her frustration.

"Please, spare me the lies." Barriss replied after rolling her eyes.

"I have never lied to you!" Luminara said, her voice raised. "I am simply trying to help you see what you've become."

"Nothing is clouding my vision. In fact, I never saw things more clearly then I do now." Barriss stated confidently.

"Fine then, tell me what you see Barriss. Enlighten me." Luminara said with her arms crossed.

"Gladly." Barriss said, standing up before she spoke her mind. "Corucant is full of people who have only heard about the war, making them unaware of just how horrible it is. Countless people dead, planets left in ruin and jedi turned into blind soldiers that often join the casualties. All this beacuse the republic threw away it's values before the war even began." Barriss explained boldly.

"How?" Luminara asked while still finding Barriss's mindset difficult to believe. "The republic did not start the fighting, the conflict began with the separatists."

"Then what about the clones?" Barriss asked. "An endless supply of soldiers that were kept secret until needed, if it wasn't war that was being prepared for then perhaps it was conquest."

"You're being ridiculous." Luminara said after a sigh.

"No I am not!" Barriss yelled furiously.

She took a step towards Luminara as she yelled, making the guards put their fingers on theirs rifle trigger. Tyree quickly took hold of his lightsaber, Kovo almost did the same but decided it wasn't needed. Barriss noticed the precautions they took for her, but did not let them stop her from speaking.

"Everything I believed in has become corrupt. The republic, the jedi...and you." Barriss said coldly and without remorse. "All of us have turned away from the light, so I decided to help make people see that by any means necessary. I made plans, found allies who had the same ideals and dealt with them as I needed to when the time came. I did not enjoy it, but the lives I took will never be something I regret."

Luminara was speechless, her mouth was open but nothing would come out. The fellow mirialan standing in front of her was nothing like the Barriss she knew. She knew her as intelligent, caring and selfless to the point of facing any risk for the of others. She was a padawan that surpassed her masters expectations and had a bright future ahead, not a murderer who believed their action were justified.

"You don't get what you hoped for, Luminara." Barriss said, emphasizing the name to show she would no longer refer to Luminara as master. "I was sane then, and still am now. Maybe you can find a broken Jedi in one of the other cells." Barriss said as she leaned her head towards Lhod Udregg's cell.

Luminara turned around to see what Barriss gestured towards. Though not certain, she assumed Barriss didn't point out that cell for just an example. Master Urr'ek's former padawan, Lhod Udregg and Master Sevrik Komen were also being held in the lower level so it was possible to find one of them inside the cell.

"Go on, have a look." Barriss said, predicting Luminara's curiosity.

She was right, Luminara couldn't help but wonder if another imprisoned Jedi was just across the hall.

"Captain." Luminara said as looked at Lerron. "May I look at another prisoner?"

"You may look, but you are not authorized to go inside." Lerron replied.

Luminara showed her compliance with a nod of her head. She turned to Barriss to say she would be right back but once again, the words couldn't form.

As she left Barriss's cell, Lerron ordered his men to stay in their positions. Luminara did not know what should find, but the answer became clear the moment she saw the prisoner.

The severed leg of Lhod Udregg immediately gave away his identity. He was in the midst of doing sit-ups when Luminara saw him.

It did not take long for Lhod to notice he was being watched. He turned his head towards Luminara, at first unsure of what to make of her. But when he eyed the lightsaber on her side his anger showed immediately. His nostrils flared, his tense muscles made the veins in his neck visible and the look he gave Luminara made it seem like he would tear her limb from limb if there wasn't a rayshield between them.

The rage Luminara felt from the young man was like nothing she had ever sensed, it was like a wild animal reacting to someone treading on it's territory. It was hard for her to believe the young man was once a member of her order.

After staring angrily for a few moments Lhod went back to doing sit-ups, but this time at a faster pace.

Luminara had seen enough, she turned away from his cell and was going back to Barriss but stopped to see something peculiar in the cell across from Lhod's. It was the the body of a tall, humanoid slender male that sat cross legged while and facing the cells back wall. Long white hair hung straight down the center of his back and ended at the floor. The hair also covered the mans ears and neck, making it impossible to identify his species. Luminara tried to moving to see from another angle but the prisoner moved his head to block her view again.

"Ms. Unduli." Captain Lerron said to take Luminara's attention off the prisoner. "Trust me when I say it's best to ignore Sevrik's mind games."

The prisoners identity did not surprise her, Luminara guessed Sevrik would be close by after she realized Barriss and Lhod's cell were in the same sector. It also made sense because despite her best efforts, Luminara could not sense anything about him. Hiding true intentions from a Jedi master required training and expert mental fortitude.

After watching him for a few more moments, Luminara took her eyes off Sevrik and returned to Barriss's cell.

"Did you find what you're looking for?" Barriss asked jokingly. "I'm sure both of them would love talking to you."

The obvious disrespect had become to much, Luminara approached her former padawan without any of her frustration held back.

"Do you think this a game Barriss?!" Luminara asked, her stance and speech completely rigid. "You could remain in this cell for the rest of your life. " She said as she stepped closer to Barriss. "If you continue to have no remorse the republic will see no reason to release you, you will be remembered as a terrorist and a murderer. Is that really what you want?"

"All I want is to open everyone eyes so they can see what we've become." Barriss replied.

"Is that why you had to frame Ashoka?" Luminara asked boldly. "Were her eyes more blind then the rest of us?"

For the first time in the conversation Barriss was the one left quiet, she knew anything she said would be met by Luminara's attempts to "help" her. This visit was not going as she expected, if it did there would have been more arguing. But with Luminara anger subdued, Barriss was unable to maneuver the conversation away from the uncomfortable subject being brought. So instead of avoiding the question, Barriss decided to face it.

"She was my friend." Barriss said in contempt. "That is why it had to be her, I needed to know I could do what was necessary no matter the cost."

"So you did it to assure yourself." Luminara stated.

"I had to sever of the bonds restraining me. Not just the Jedi or the Republic, but also those closest to me." Barriss said while looking Luminara in the eyes. "Ashoka was the right person, at the right place; at the right time. But if you were you the one on Corucsant that day, I would have been just as willing to frame you."

Those words struck Luminara like a blaster bolt shot through her chest. She turned her head away from Barriss to hide her pinched lips.

"When you meet with council, feel free to tell them that." Barriss said bitterly. "I think we're done talking."

"Barriss, Please..." Luminara said before being interrupted.

"What else is there?" Barriss asked. "You offered help, I refused. You asked for my reasons, I answered. I'm sure you have enough for a neat little report, so go turn it in to the council."

"I am not here for them." Luminara replied sternly. "I am here for you."

"Really?" Barriss asked, not convinced. "Does that mean you can forgive my so called crimes?"

"No, and I can't ignore them either. All I can do is help you see the wrong that you've done so you can go back to being the person I cared about." Luminara admitted.

"Then you will never get what you want!" Barriss said loudly, taking a step towards Luminara that aggitated the men guarding her. "I will not have filled with anymore lies, from you or the Jedi!" She yelled in Luminara's face. "You're not the only one who sees a different person, my image of you died along with the same day that Shudeeren did." She stated before walking back to her bed.

Luminara tried to stop Barriss from turning away by putting a hand on her shoulder but this was met by Barriss swatting away the hand with her cuffs and staring at Luminara furiously.

"Don't touch me." Barriss said in a very aggressive tone.

It was then that Luminara saw something that sent a chill down her spine, as Barriss told her to stay away the young mirialans briefly changed color. For a few seconds her usually blue eyes became a faint yellow. As a padawan, Luminara was taught that eyes changing in such a way was a sign of someone becoming lost in the dark side of the force. She saw the same eyes on Lhod Udregg, but his seemed permanently changed and were bright enough to almost be considered glowing. Just the thought of Barriss becoming so mad was enough to leave her horrified.

"I...I" Luminara's grief made her stutter. "I think you're right, we've talked enough." She said while trying to look certain.

"Glad you agree." Barriss replied sarcastically as she sat down on her bed.

Luminara turned to exit the cell, but looked at Barriss again to say one more thing.

"I will come back for you. I am not sure when, but I will."

Barriss had no response, she just kept looking at Luminara and waited for her to leave. With nothing more to say, Luminara left the cell. One look towards Lerron was all that she needed to let the captain know it was time to go. As one of the guards reactivated the cells rayshield Luminara looked one at her padawan one more time, but Barriss had already returned her gaze to the floor.

With the cell closed, the guards lowered their rifle and the two Jedi no longer needed to stand ready. Despite this, Tyree kept his eyes on Barriss as if he was expecting her to try something while Kovo looked at Luminara and wondered how she handled the conversation.

"It will be some time before another visit can be authorized." Captain Lerron said to Luminara. "But if you wish, you may contact me for updates on her behavior."

"Thank you Captain." She replied, still looking at Barriss.

"We should be going." Captain Lerron remarked.

After taking a few more seconds, Luminara looked at Lerron and nodded her head in agreement. Barriss watched the small group leave from the corner of her eye.

Nothing was said at first. But it was not long before Kovo felt the need to approach Luminara and speak with her.

"Are you alright?" Kovo asked.

"No." Luminara replied in a hushed tone. "She has fallen, and cannot even realize it."

"Not now, but I believe you will get through to her." Kovo said.

"I hope you're right." Luminara said as she looked at Kovo. "For now, all I can do is keep vouching for her and think about what I'll have to say next time. "

Kovo agreed with a nod of his head. The group then returned Luminara to the landing platform where she boarded the shuttle that had been waiting for her.

As she left, Luminara thought of nothing but Barriss. While at the same time, Barriss did her best to ignore her.

Whether they were true or not, Barriss refused to let Luminara's sentiments win her over. Not after everything she came to realize and all the effort she put into making her plan a reality. Though she lost her freedom, it all still seemed worth it. To Barriss, no amount of time in a cell would compare to even a second of being an ignorant pawn again.

Her cell was quiet for some time and Barriss hardly moved while being deep in thought. She had no doubt in her decisions, but it did not stop her former masters words from echoing in her mind.

But Barriss's thoughts were cut short when a familiar voice entered her mind. It didn't surprise her as much as the first time, she was able to keep looking at the floor without any sign of being startled.

"So, how did it go?" The voice of Servrik Komen asked.

"I'm sure you could hear some of it." Barriss thought in reply.

"Some, but not all. I spent most it feeling the interesting mix of emotions." Sevrik said. "But that's not why I'm speaking with you again."

"I can guess why, and I don't need to hear any more about it." Barriss stated.

"Does that mean you have a better escape plan?" Sevrik asked sarcastically.

"No." Barriss admitted. "But I still think yours would fail."

"It could, any plan has the chance to go awry. But you are the final piece needed, you could be the one who ensures our escape." Servirks voice said convincingly. "Unless of course, you'd rather wait for your master to come back."

"I don't need her." Barriss replied angrily. "or you."

"You're half right, you've outgrown the need to be cared for. But when it comes to possibly seeing the light of day again, my help will be a necessity." Sevrik's voice said. "But there is one thing I'll make clear."

"What's first?" Barriss asked.

"If you agree, we wil begin tomorrow night." Sevrik replied.

"That soon?" Barriss wondered.

"Yes, so I'll ask you one more time. Do you want to stay in that cell?" Sevrik asked seriously.

An answer wasn't given right away. She raised her head to look around the cell, once again seeing nothing that could be used to escape. Her time in prison was short, but was already unpleasant and Barriss couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for her confinement to become unbearable.

After a minute of silent contemplation, Barriss was able to decide what was best for her.

"Alright." She thought. "I'll help."


	4. Chapter 4

Ch.4 Predictable

It was another typical day in the lower levels. The prisoners were fed breakfast and lunch on the hour, the guards patrolled their routes just like every other day before. Captain Lerron was inside the command center and taking his time looking at every security monitor that had a camera set on a noteworthy prisoner. This brought him over to the clone officer who was tasked with keeping a sharp eye on their rouge Jedi prisoners.

"Any change in miss Offee's behavior?" Lerron asked the officer.

"No sir." The clone replied. "She woke up, stretched a bit after the morning meal and now she's just meditating."

"Good, and the others?" Lerron said.

"The same, but Lhod has lost his patience again." The clone said.

Lerron saw what the officer meant on the screen in front of them. Lhod was sitting on the ground smashing his cuffs on the ground in a desperate attempt to break them. Lerron heard could hear metal clashing against metal over and over while Lhod yelled furiously.

"Come on! Break dammit, break!" Lhod shouted like a madman.

"Poor fool." Lerron said with a look of pity. "It's always a shame to see a young mind broken."

Lerron had seen enough for now, he left the clone to continue his work while the captain finished his own by checking in with other officers. With that done, Lerron decided to walk into the lower levels barracks and speak to the Jedi under his command.

Tyree and Kovo would often pass their time as prison guards in the barracks. As captain Lerron walked in the two were actually playing a game of holochess.

"Hello Captain." Kovo said as the captain came through the door. "Can we help you with anything?"

"Not right now, I just wanted you to know that your shuttle should be arriving in the next few hours." Lerron said.

"Thank you Captain." Kovo said. "Care to take on the winner?"

"Perhaps during you're next day. I still have work to do." Captain Lerron replied. "Enjoy your remaining time in our luxurious facility." He said jokingly as he walked out of the barracks.

After the Captain left the two Jedi continued their game. Despite often being at odds, they still had a mutual respect for each-others skill on the holoboard.

"Who's taking our place?" Tyree asked while he was deciding his next move.

"Veala Mel and Eruut Niviso." Kovo said while tying to predict Tyree's tactics. "They should do fine."

"I never liked Eruut." Tyree said while he moved his piece forward. "To stuck up."

"Are you sure that's it?" Kovo asked with a smirk as one of his pieces took Tyree's. "I seem to recall him beating you in a sparring match."

"That was just luck." Tyree insisted while trying to decide how to counter Kovo's move.

"Or skill." Kovo said in a cocky manner after Tyree fell into his trap, costing him another piece.

Kovo's mood dropped a bit when he saw how badly Tyree reacted to losing in holochess. He had never seen the man hit his hand on the table just because he lost a piece.

"Is everything alright?" Kovo asked with concern.

"Not really..." Tyree said reluctantly.

"I thought you'd be in a great mood today." Kovo said.

"Why? Because we're going back to the temple." Tyree said bitterly. "Forgive me for not feeling thrilled."

"Well would you rather stay here?" Kovo said sarcastically.

"At least here I can be somewhat useful." Tyree replied in a very blunt way. "We both know what's going to happen. The council will send you back into the war and leave me to wander the temple and spar with younglings." Tyree said, making his resentment very clear as he moved his piece forward.

"If that's true, you should consider yourself lucky." Kovo said with his eyes on the board, he noticed Tyree's anger was taking away his sense of strategy. "You haven't seen just how much things have escalated, or just how many have died because of it." Kovo said just as one of his pieces went through the animation of killing it's opponent.

"You say that like I had a choice." Tyree said, even more frustrated as he realized the mistake he made on the holoboard.

"That's not what I mea..." Kovo tried to say to diffuse the situation.

"Well then just tell me what you mean!" Tyree said before deciding to switch off the holochess board and stand. "I am sick of you tip toeing around your real opinion of me. I know you have no problem taking about it to others so for once just say it to my face!." Tyree said angrily.

Kovo sighed, he knew Tyree was too agitated to let this go. So he decided to give his fellow Jedi what he wanted. The full, harsh truth.

"You always talk about charging back into the fight, about standing on the front lines with other Jedi. But that's the problem, Jedi are not suppose to have that kind of mindset." Kovo explained as a matter of fact. "We're protectors, not soldiers."

"Oh please. In order to protect anyone we have to make sure threats like the separatists are dealt with as soon as possible." Tyree argued. "You can't negotiate with tyrants, you can only make them submit."

"Can you not hear yourself when you talk?" Kovo asked. "Everything you just said goes against what our order has always stood for. That is why your're here Tyree, and perhaps that is for the best." Kovo said, making Tyree scoff and roll his eyes. "Maybe the council wanted you to see what that state of mind can lead to."

There was a sudden, sharp tension in the air. Tyree knew what Kovo was implying, and it was an insult he would not take lightly. He put his hands on the holochess board and leaned in to be face to face with the Twi'lek.

"I am nothing like them." Tyree said with a hushed tone and furious expression.

"And I wish I could believe you." Kovo replied.

The next few moments were quiet. The two stared at one another as if waiting to see what the other would say or do. Their silent conflict could have gone on a while but it was interrupted when someone else felt the need to step in.

"Everything alright sirs?" One of the clone guards asked.

Tyree and Kovo turned their heads toward the guard, that's when they realized there was actually half a dozen of them watching the two Jedi have their argument. Tyree could not believe what he was seeing. These men were trained to break up fights and riots so they were always cautious towards the aggressor in any argument and it was obvious that they were doing the same for him.

"We're fine." Kovo answered to ease the tension. "Just a small disagreement, isn't that right?" Kovo said to Tyree.

"Yes.." Tyree said reluctantly, his temper beginning to settle. "And we can settle it later."

With that said, Tyree turned away from Kovo and left the barracks. Kovo thought about stopping him, but he knew it was always better to just let Tyree have his space. He also decided to not let their quarrel sour his mood.

"Would any of you be up for a game?" Kovo asked the guards, hoping for at least one more game of holochess.

While Kovo stayed in the barracks, Tyree decided to let work take his mind off of everything bothering him. After checking in with patrols he decided to follow Captain Lerron's example and look at the monitors. But unlike the captain, Tyree decided to look at the Jedi prisoners first.

"Nothing to report sir." The clone assigned to the Jedi monitors said.

"Alright then." Tyree said as he turned to walk away.

"Wait..." The clone said after looking at one of the screens closely. "This might be something."

The clone was referring to Lhod. He stopped his futile attempts to break his handcuffs once he got tired and spent the last hour resting on his bed. It seemed like he was having some sort of nightmare, the clone monitoring him noticed tossing and turning before Lhod woke up screaming. Now fully awake, Lhod stared ahead at the rayshield. He rolled off the bed so he could push himself up to stand, all the while still looking at the only way in and out of his cell.

"Is he about to...?" Tyree tried to ask.

"Probably." The clone next to Tyree said. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Both assumptions were correct, Lhod slowly moved forward to keep his balance and his strength. He stopped just a few feet away from the rayshield and showed no signs of fear, despite knowing all to well what it could do.

"He can't be that stupid." Tyree said as he kept watching.

Lhod took deep breaths, building up his adrenaline before he pushed forward. Volts of electricity surged through his body by the millions as soon as he made contact with the rayshield. Just one second was all it took to knock Lhod back and leave him convulsing in pain for a short while after. But one hard shock wasn't enough to make Lhod accept defeat. When the convulsing stopped Lhod crawled over to his bed to push himself up again.

"He's a tough one, I'll give him that." The clone said.

Lhod was able to get himself in front of the rayshield and push into it again. Just like before, he was shocked and pushed back and multiple shocks left him on ground for twice as long.

Although Tyree had no love for Lhod or anyone who could disgrace the Jedi order in such a way, that didn't stop him from feeling some sympathy towards a young man who's obviously lost his mind.

"We need to stop this." Tyree said. "Send the nearest patrol to calm him down."

"Yes sir." The clone said before tapping the comlink in his ear and giving out the order.

While the closest group of guards were on their way to Lhod's cell, the prisoner was doing all he could to ignore the obvious pain and fatigue he was experiencing. His breathing was heavy and his body trembled while he inched himself towards the bed.

"Just stay down." Tyree said as he kept his eyes on the screen.

A groan of pain could be heard from Lhod as he used his remaining strength to stand up again. He felt weak, and sore all throughout his body. But Lhod still managed to make it to the rayshield again. He had enough sense to know this would be his last attempt, so Lhod threw himself forward with everything he had left. To no one surprise Lhod was knocked back again but this time did not look like he was going to get back up.

"Great..." Tyree said after a sigh. "Is the patrol almost there?"

"They're approaching the cell now sir." the clone replied

Five guards arrived at Lhod's cell, they followed the basic procedure for reviving prisoners. Two men go into the cell, three stay in front of it. The two clones who went in made Lhod lay flat on his back so they could check his pulse and breathing. When they were done, one of the guards used his comlink to give the clone next to Tyree Lhod's status.

"He's stable, but he won't be getting up for a while."

"Alright." Tyree said. "What would Captain Lerron usually do?" Tyree asked the clone.

"Leave him." Captain Lerron as he approached the Jedi. "For now at least."

"Why not just get him up now?" Tyree asked out of curiosity.

"Because I've seen plenty of fake illness and injuries. Sevrik Komen tried something like and managed to get out of his cell." Lerron answered. "That's why we're going to leave Lhod as he is for an hour or so. Most give up the act after that."

"I see." Tyree said, unsure about Lerron's order. "But doesn't the timing seem a bit...odd?"

"Yes. But your shuttle won't be here until after we wake him up. If he's hoping to make an escape while you're away, he'll be very disappointed." Lerron said. "But by all means, keep an eye on him if you wish."

Lerron walked away to get back to the rest of his work. Tyree meant to do the same, but an uncomfortable thought in the back of his mind made him stay where was and keep watching the screen.

He wasn't the only one focused on Lhod. Barriss Offee watched the entire thing unfold from her cell. Watching him hit the rayshield made her cringe every time. When the guards arrived Barriss wished she could see what they were doing, but the angle made it impossible. After they left, Barriss felt tense. She walked over to her bed and sat on it with her legs crossed. Meditation helped her pass the time in prison, but all attempts to clear her mind were interrupted by her growing nerves.

"Are you alright?" A familiar voice said inside Barriss' head without warning. "I'm beginning to sense anxiety."

"I'm fine." Barriss thought, despite her face showing otherwise.

"Are you sure? We can't afford any second thoughts. I have to be certain you'll play your part when the time comes." Servrik said.

"I'll do what I must, just as long as your plan actually makes it to that point." Barriss thought in a derogatory way.

"Doubt will get us nowhere Barriss, all you need to do is have a little faith in me." Servirk said.

"It's hard to do that when your plan is desperate at best. I hope you realize that I'm not helping you with anything if this fails." Said Barriss.

"I do. I just hope you realize that if this doesn't work, we're going to be here for a very long time." Sevrik said.

Barriss did not a response, agreeing to help Sevrik appeared to be her only way out of the cell she felt trapped in.

Time went by, and very little changed. The guards left Lhod on his bed, and he had not moved since. Barriss continued to meditate, but was still nervous. Captain Lerron was going through his daily reports and Tyree was still standing in front of the security monitors.

He remained suspicious, even though he watched Lhod the entire time he was out cold and had yet to see anything to worry about. But it wasn't just his duty that kept his focus locked on the screen, a small part of Tyree may have actually wanted Lhod to be trying something.

"I admire your diligence." Kovo said, standing behind Tyree. "But the Captain says you've been at this for a while, perhaps a small break is in order." Kovo suggested.

"I'm fine." Tyree said, barely turning away from the screen as he replied.

"How about a meal? I'm sure you'd enjoy one more taste of the mess halls cuisine before we go." Kovo said jokingly.

"No thanks." Tyree said, still not looking back at Kovo. "I'll step away once the guards come back and wake Lhod."

It was obvious to Kovo that Tyree was still in no mood to finish their talk, but he was not going to let that stop him from saying what he came to say. He stepped up to Tyree and tapped his shoulder to make him realize Kovo wanted to be face to face.

"I just wanted to apologize." Kovo said after Tyree turned to look at him. "I may not have the same urge to fight, but I can understand why you believe it's necessary." Kovo said before stepping away. "But that's all I had to say, we can talk again on the shuttle."

As Kovo began to walk away, Tyree sighed. He knew both men said things that made the argument worse so there was no point in acting like he was the one in the right.

"Wait." Tyree said to make Kovo stop. "I'd rather not wait until were back at the temple to eat."

Kovo smiled and gave Tyree a nod to join him, the two walked into the mess hall for a meal. One of the few things they ever agreed about was just how bland the food was, but it would at least give them an excuse to sit down and clear the air between them.

Not long after, the guards who checked on Lhod before returned to his cell. Captain Lerron had taken Tyree's place at the monitor, he took note of the Jedi's absence but it did not bother him. He knew they could be called at any time if he really needed them.

Barriss watched the guards return without drawing attention to herself, she could only assume Sevrik Komen was doing the same. She noticed the extra equipment some of them were carrying. One had a medical scanner in his hand on what seemed to be a vial sized spray bottle of some sort attached to his belt. Another had what seemed to be just a bucket of water that he carried by the handle.

They followed standard procedure again, two went in and three stayed out. The two men checked Lhod's vitals and breathing to see if there were any notable changes, but found none. They began their work, but started with a very simple method.

"Oy, inmate." The guard standing over Lhod said as he shook him by the shoulder. "Get up." He said as he moved on from shaking to a few slaps on the right side of Lhod's face.

Both men could tell they needed something s bit more effective. So the guard beside Lhod took the spray bottle off of his belt. The bottle's contents was a potent mixture of chemicals that was developed into an effective form of smelling salts. The guard sprayed the bottle twice over Lhod's face and a faint orange mist was slowly inhaled through his nostrils. It had some effect, Lhod's head swayed and a few mumbles could be heard. The guards had seen this sort of thing before, which is why they knew bucket full of ice cold water was usually enough to finish the job.

The guard standing in front of Lhod passed the bucket to the one beside him. The guard positioned the bucket above Lhod's head. Captain Lerron was still watching and so far had seen nothing out of the ordinary. But in those few seconds before the water was poured, something did.

Lhod's eyes opened, his head quickly moved up to headbutt the water into the face of the guard holding it.

"What?!" Captain Lerron said in shock.

Lhod had been waiting to make his move, and was quick to do so when the time came. He sat up and slammed his cuffed hands into guard beside him. With his strength and dense steel around his hands the impact was like a sledgehammer that was able to knock the clone unconscious.

But that was a small victory, four clone still stood in Lhod's way and three of them already had their rifles on him.

"On the floor inmate!" One the guards standing just outside of the cell said. "Now!"

Seeing he was at a disadvantage, Lhod made it seem like he was complying. He rolled onto the floor beside his bed and slowly raised his hands.

"Think you're so tou..." Said the guard who was still in the cell, before Lhod interrupted him.

The guard's plan seem to be knocking Lhod out with the butt of his rifle to pay him back for doing the same thing to his fellow soldier. But he made the mistake and underestimating Lhod because of his disability. He tired to stand over Lhod before hitting him but when the guard got close enough Lhod tripped him, making him fall face first into the metal frame on the side of the bed.

"That's enough!" One of the guards yelled with their rifle pointed at Lhod's chest. "Against the wall, now!"

Lhod did as they said and slowly pushed himself towards the back wall. Captain Lerron hoped that was the end of it, but his anxiety was still rising.

When Lhod had made it to the back wall he put his foot up against it, he head hung low in what seemed like defeat at first. But then he looked up to see how close the guards were standing together and couldn't help but smirk.

Any normal person in Lhod's state would be helpless, but he had an advantage. As a Jedi he was capable of augmenting his physical strength through use of the force. This skill, combined with the natural strength he had work so hard to maintain was enough to let him use one leg to dive across the cell and slam his body into the guards.

It finally gave Barriss something to see instead of just hear, seeing Lhod suddenly charge into three armed men was enough to startle her for a second. Meanwhile Captain Lerron was in state of baffled shock as he watched five of hi men losing to a man who could not even walk.

"Go get the Jedi." Captain Lerron said to the clone beside him.

"Yes si..." The clone tried to say.

"Now!" Captain Lerron shouted, making the clone sprint to the mess hall. "I want all guards near sector eight to converge and stop an escape in progress." Lerron ordered into his comlink, his stress making veins in his forehead visible.

Lhod accomplished getting out of his cell, but now he was on the floor with enemies at both sides. With no time to rest, he slammed his cuffs down the back of the nearest guards head before he could get back up. Before he could move on to his next target, one of them managed to hit Lhod in the face with a right hook. It hurt, but not enough to slow Lhod down. If anything it just made him more angry.

The guard who punched Lhod went in for a left hook this time, but Lhod was quick to block it and follow up with a headbutt and knock the guard down. Lhod crawled on top of the guard and started to hit him in the face. But Lhod seemed to get caught up in anger and didn't notice the last guard he was kicked in the back of the head.

It left him disoriented for a moment, but that was long enough for the guard to pick up his rifle. They both made their move, but just before the guard could pull the trigger Lhod was able to knock the gun out of his hand. The guard couldn't react fast enough to stop Lhod as he hit the clone in the stomach with his cuffs, making him lean forward enough for Lhod to quickly raise his hands and uppercut the guard into unconsciousness.

Captain Lerron was almost speechless, his mouth left open with a hand over his forehead as he watched Lhod escape.

"How? Lerron mumbled to himself. "He couldn't have done this on his..."

It was at that moment, when Lerron turned to look at the other monitors that he realized what was going on. Lhod may not have been smart enough to plan his way out, but the captain knew all to well that Sevrik Komen was. His first Jedi prisoner had proven to be one of the most difficult to deal with since he arrived, and seeing that devilish grin on his face made Lerron certain he was looking at the real mastermind.

While Lerron was just beginning to understand the real plan, Barriss watched in disbelief as Sevrik's plan seemed to actually be working. When she was told Lhod was the key to their escape she thought it was ridiculous. Even if he had both of his legs she thought his mental state would stop him from following orders. But she was proven wrong as Lhod grabbed an access card off of one of the guards belts with his teeth and started crawling towards Sevrik's cell.

As Lhod inched towards Sevrik a stun shot in the shape of a blue ring flew past his head. Lhod saw another squad of guards running down the hall towards him. He moved as fast as he could pushing himself up with the small console beside Sevrik's cell. He leaned down to drop the card into the slot and deactivate the rayshield.

Barriss was not sure what to expect, but she couldn't but wonder who and what would come out to greet. Since they seemed to need each-other to escape, she hoped he would at least look like a trustworthy person.

She saw more stun rings fly past, Lhod ducked behind the console for cover. But in the midst of the shots, a tall man with pale blue skin and long white casually walked through it.

"You'll be out in a moment." Sevrik Komen said to Barriss, his elegant tone and accent sounding the same out loud as it did in her head.

He had a smile that showed pure satisfaction, he kept smiling while he went from walking to a full sprint towards the guards. After having a brief moment to really see him, Barriss felt concerned about working with someone who seems so calm in a dire situation. She didn't feel any better when Lhod started to hop over to her cells console to let her out. She was happy to be free, but wasn't sure how to approach an unstable person like Lhod.

"...Thank you." Barriss said awkwardly while keeping her distance.

Lhod didn't reply at first, when he opened Barriss' cell he knew that his part of the work was done. He pressed his back against the wall of Barriss' for cover and to have a chance to catch his breath.

"You're welcome." Lhod said without looking at Barriss, he was more concered about resting then her gratitude.

Barriss stepped out into the hallway to see what had become of Sevrik, it was suprsing to see just how easily he could handle a group of armed guards. All Jedi learn hand to hand combat, but as Barriss watched Sevrik fight it became apparent that he had more skill then most.

The handcuffs proved to be just a minor nuisance for Sevrik. His tall body and years of training made his kicks quick and powerful. He used knees, elbows and every other part of his body in order to gracefully move from guard and take them down. When the fight was over, Sevrik was the last man standing. He noticed Barriss watching him and looked at her with a carefree expression.

"Feel free to help anytime." Sevrik said jokingly.

"Halt!" Yelled another guard.

Behind Sevrik were three squads worth of guards, there was more then a dozen rifles lined up and pointing right at him. Observing his surroundings let him think of a couple options for attack, but that wasn't what Sevrik was waiting for.

"Stand aside." Kovo said as he and Tyree walked past the soldiers. "We'll deal this."

When Barriss saw two Jedi walk towards Sevrik, her heart began to race. Soldiers were one thing, but dealing with two capable knights without weapons or even the use of their hands seemed impossible.

Lhod could see the panic in Barriss' eyes, he leaned out of the cell and looked over his shoulder to see what was going on. Seeing the robes and lightsabers was all it took for Lhod to get angry again.

It wasn't fear or rage that was going through Sevrik's mind, he was entirely focused on the next stage of his plan. Using the Jedi was always a major part in his escape, but what really mattered was having the right pair and using the right words.

"Hello gentlemen." Sevrik said casually, but was still ready to move at any time. "I don't suppose we could just talk things out?"

"We'll only say this once, get back in your cell Sevrik." Kovo said sternly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that for you." Sevrik said to Kovo before looking at Tyree. "You should both turn around, it's the only way to be sure I won't hurt you." He said with a smirk.

"You couldn't if you tried." Tyree said, slightly aggitated.

"Oh but I could." Sevrik said in a cocky manner. "Feel free to prove me wrong?"

"Gladly." Tyree said as he stepped towards Sevrik before being stopped by an arm across his chest.

"You know how we're supposed to do this." Kovo said as he blocked Tyree.

He was reluctant, but Tyree still listened to Kovo. The two stood directly in front of the prisoner and gave each-other one confirming look before raising their right hands.

Sevrik knew what was coming, something he could never prepare for; only predict. But he was confident in his abilities and he had been waiting for a moment like this for far too long. Tyree and Kovo created a force push, hoping to send Sevrik flying back towards his cell. They were surprised to see it only push him back a few feet while Sevrik focused the force throughout his body as a way to weigh himself down. The two Jedi pushed harder, beads of sweat were on Sevrik's forehead as he continued to resist. After almost a minute Tyree and Kovo decided to stop, leaving Sevrik still standing but with heavy breath.

"You're strong, I can admit that." Sevrik said. "But I've had far more time and have far more experience."

He was not wrong. Sevrik aged well so it most wouldn't notice that as a pantoran male, he was considered middle aged. But Tyree didn't see an elder Jedi worth his admiration, just an arrogant traitor who was mocking him.

"Oh really?" Tyree said angrily. "Let's see if that's true." He said as he took hold of his lightsaber.

"Wai..." Kovo tried to say as he grabbed Tyree's arm.

"Enough!" Tyree said, pulling his arm away as he stared at Kovo. "I don't need you telling me what to..."

Tyree saw the surprise in Kovo's eyes, giving him just enough time to step out of the way as Sevrik tried to kick him in the face. In the moment, Tyree made a fatal mistake that Sevrik was hoping for. Losing his composure, Tyree reacted by turning on his lightsaber and swinging downwards. Hearing the saber turn on, Sevrik spun around and held out his hands in the exact place needed for Tyree to cut through the middle of his handcuffs and break them.

A collective gasp was heard from the guards, Barriss watched in disbelief, Kovo realized just how much danger they were in and Tyree was mortified by just how he had been played.

This is the moment Sevrik had looked forward to the most, even more then actually escaping. With nothing to hold him back Sevirk was free to quickly push out his hands and send the two knights flying down the hallway, but Tyree hit the left side wall in midair, making him land closer to Sevrik while Kovo was thrown all the way to the floor beside Barriss' cell.

"Stop him!" One of the guards said just before Sevirk used a force push powerful enough to knock all of them back.

"At ease men." Sevrik said, amused by his own humor.

Captain Lerron watched in horror, his men and the Jedi were being easily beaten by one man. With Sevrik free to use his full power the officer could only think of one sound strategy.

"All remaining squads, protect the command center!" Lerron yelled into his comlink.

The impact Tyree had with the wall left him on the floor and in severe pain. Meanwhile, Kovo was just coming to his senses while Barriss and Lhod stood just a few feet away. The violence had escalated so quickly that Barriss had little time to process it all, or decide how to react to it. She cautiously approached Kovo, hoping to get his lightsaber to cut through her own handcuffs. But as she did so a small feeling of uncertainty dwelled in the back of her mind.

The same could not be said for Lhod, he had dreams about an opportunity like this. He crawled towards Kovo until he was ready to push forward and slam his cuffs down on the Jedi's head. But Kovo was aware enough to see Lhod coming and roll out of the way.

Barriss continued to watch in hesitation, even as Kovo was occupied with keeping Lhod back with his lightsaber.

"Stay back!" Kovo said with his lightsaber on and just inches away from Lhod's chest. "I don't want to..."

Kovo was cut off by Barriss making a split second decision, she decided that freedom was the top priority. She had kicked him just above the hip, making him stumble onto his hands and knees. There was doubt at first, but seeing Kovo turn to look at her with an expression that was at first shocked; and then disappointed. That look was enough to make her feel a split second of doubt before Lhod made her experience complete horror.

Seeing Kovo down and distracted, Lhod hit Kovo in the face with his handcuffs. After that he pounced on the Twi'lek like a wild animal and kept hitting his head without mercy. He crushed the poor mans skull, leaving a gruesome mess that Barriss witnessed right in front of her.

"No!" Captain Lerron yelled as he watched the whole ordeal, his fist smashing the desk.

Even Sevrik was somewhat disturbed by the sight, he looked away until Lhod was finally done. Then he noticed the lightsaber beside Kovo's body and couldn't help but admire Lhod's work. He reached out towards the weapon and made it fly into his grasp with just a flick of the wrist. It felt good to hold one again, and he savored the moment before turning it on. With another advantage in his possession, Sevrik turned his attention to the last major threat.

"Dammit..." Tyree groaned in pain as he picked himself up, looking left and right for his companion. "Kovo?"

Tyree didn't see what happened until he looked over his shoulder. His eyes became wide and he let out a quick, horrified gasp at the sight of Kovo's corpse. Lhod was the obvious culprit, as he sat beside the body with it's blood staining his handcuffs and from the way Barriss stood over the body, Tyree knew she had a hand in the death of his friend.

Even with his shocked state of mind, Tyree still realized one murderer was missing. He looked ahead and instantly recognized the lightsaber in Sevrik's hand. At that instant, every word of wisdom and restraint he had been taught left his mind. In a blind rage he charged at Sevrik, his own lightsaber drawn with intention of cutting the traitor in two.

Sevrik stood his ground, completely unfazed. He waited until his attacker was a few feet away before he raised his hand made a loose grip towards the Jedi's neck. Tyree was stopped dead in his tracks as he the actual Force began to crush his throat. He had never experienced this, and was left defenseless as Sevrik used his other hand to put Kovo's lightsaber through Tyree's chest.

Seeing the merciless way Sevrik disposed of someone and Lhod's total lack of remorse made her natious. Although she had killed before, seeing it done in such brutal fashions made it was something different. It made her remember another awful death, the one that drove her to the events that brought her to this moment.

"Barriss!" Sevrik yelled, sensing Barriss' fear. "There's no time for second guessing." Sevrik said before the guards tryed to get up only to be pushed back again by the force. "Get over here, now!"

Barriss did as he said, but with the utmost caution. At this point she just hoped escaping meant she would never have to see these men again. He told Barriss to lift up her arms, and when she did Sevrik used the lightsaber in his hand to cut through her handcuffs.

"Take this." Sevrik said as he picked up Tyree's lightsaber and handed it to Barriss. "Do the same with Lhod and then give it to him. He'll know what to do after that."

"What about you?" Barriss asked.

"I'll be there in a minute." Sevrik said as he walked away from Barriss and towards the guards.

The way he spoke and approached the clones made his intentions obvious. As she looked away and jogged down the hall, Sevrik started killing the guards with ruthless efficiency.

"About time." Lhod said as Barriss stood in front of him, he held out his hands so the handcuffs could be taken care of.

They were not cut right away, Barriss was more then hesitant about giving a lightsaber to a blood stained brute like Lhod. But if she didn't, she would have to deal with that brute and Sevrik along with him. After cutting through his handcuffs, Barriss gave Lhod the lightsaber and stood back just in case.

Lhod took a second to twist his wrists before getting to work. With his hands free, it was much easier to crawl over to the middle of the floor and then stab the lightsaber into it. Barriss wasn't sure what he was doing at first, but it became clear once she realized he was making a man sized circle.

While all this went on in the prison, Captain Lerron was making sure his remaining men were ready at the command center.

"No one get's past this perimeter!" Lerron said as he stood in front of his men. "Stun them if you can, but I want them taken down by any means necessary."

"Captain!" One of the clones said. "You need to see this."

Lerron followed the clone back to the security monitors. When he saw Lhod in the midst of cutting through the floor and Sevrik finishing off his men it became all to clear what was happening.

"Oh you sneaky son of a..." Lerron mumbled, his frustration stopping him from completing his sentence. "Change of plans! We go after them, now!" Lerron yelled at his men as he ran back to them.

As the Captain Lead his men towards the escaping prisoners, Lhod was just inches away from creating a way out.

"Catch this." He said to Barriss.

Barriss played her part by using the force to lift up the carved part of the floor and placed it beside the hole.

"We're through!" Lhod yelled at Sevrik.

"Keep going." Sevrik said as he stabbed the last living guard in the back. "I'll be right there."

With a nod of his head, Lhod showed his compliance before dropping down through the hole he made. Barriss looked through the hole, below was a series of small pipes running along the walls and one very large pipe that was halfway into the middle of the floor. Lhod pulled up his jumpsuit to cover the bottom half of his face before beginning to make another hole in the large pipe.

"You should go with him." Sevrik said to Barriss as he picked up one of the guards rifles and another keycard for the cells. "Just prepare yourself for the smell."

Having little time to argue, Bariss jumped down the hole in the floor. Meanwhile, Sevrik walked over to the nearest cell and used the keycard he acquired to open it.

"Take this." Sevrik said to a Duros prisoner while he threw a rifle at their feet.

The prisoner eagerly picked up the weapon and ran out of his cell. Sevrik did the same with two more prisoners but gave the keycard to the third so they could do the rest of the work for him. After that, he joined Barriss and Lhod on the floor below.

"Wait..." Barriss said to herself as a unpleasant thought came to mind. "What smell were you talking ab..." She tried to ask before the answer became obvious.

When Lhod finished cutting a section out of the pipe the room was filled with a horrible smell. Barriss had to cover her mouth with her hand and hold back the urge to vomit. She looked into the pipe after her stomach settled and realized it was likely meant for draining the prisoners sewer system.

"You must be joking." Barriss said in protest.

"I wish I was, but we need to get going." Sevrik replied.

"There is no way I'm going through that!" Barriss said while pointing at the pipe.

There was a moment of tense silence among the three trying to escape. After a long sigh, Sevrik walked towards Barriss until she was forced to back up against the wall. He didn't touch her, but the way he stood over her gave him an imposing presence.

"I'm going to ask this just once Barriss." Sevrik said in a hushed tone. "Would you rather be clean but imprisoned, or filthy but free?"

In more ways then one, Barriss was forced into a terrible position. Any hope she had when her cell first opened had been replaced by anxiety. As she looked away from Sevrik and back to his awful idea for a way out, she couldn't help but regret agreeing to help get this far. Soldiers and Jedi died just for doing their jobs, and now two very dangerous men had a chance to be free and do whatever they please. But Barriss had done before today, and she knew that. That clear fact made her choice just a little bit easier. She pushed Sevrik back, making him think she was going to back out.

"Lead the way." Barriss said in a no nonsense kind of way.

The shove was actually meant to send a message. Barriss was willing to crawl through a tunnel of crap, but she was never going to let them intimidate her.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch.5 Fugitives

The Jedi temple was in a frantic state. Knights, Masters and even padawans were all scrambling to leave the temple and get to their assigned sector of Coruscant. Council Members such as Mace Windu and Agen Kolar were doing their best to organize everyone in a short amount of time. Dozens of shuttles and tranports left simultaniously, leaving the temple with just half the usual amount of Jedi inside.

One of the Jedi remaining was Luminara, who was told to appear before the council. She knew what was happening. Maybe not every detail, but more then enough to understand. With a heavy heart, Luminara stepped into the councils chamber and prepared to hear the worst of news. Half of them were there phyisically, the rest of the chair were occupied the other council members holograms. It didn't suprise Luminara to see Master Urr'ek already standng before the council, he was obviously summoned for the same reason as her.

"I'm sure you both know what's going on." Mace Windu said bluntly. "We have called you hear to let you know what we have been told so far."

"Did they really kill two Jedi?" Urr'ek asked in a way that made it seem like he already knew the answer.

"I'm afraid so." Mace Windu replied. "And more then a dozen guards."

Urr'ek's reaction was a long, mournful sigh. Luminara didn't want to believe it, because if she did it meant all her hopes for seeing Barriss redeemed were nothing more then delusions.

"We understand this is a difficult time for you." Master Kenobi's hologram said. "But we're hoping you can help us track them down."

"May I hear what happened first?" Urr'ek asked.

"You may." Said Mace. "Just over an hour ago we received word about an escape. Two of the escapees were your padawans, the other was the facility's first Jedi prisoner; Sevrik Komen. We believe he is the one who coordinated the escape."

"Clever, Sevrik always was." Grandmaster Yoda said.

"How did they get out?" Luminara asked.

"The sewer lines." Mace replied. "One of the pipes ran along the outer wall, once they cut through we can only assume they managed to jump onto one the civilian hovercrafts flying below them."

"Not long after, a call was made to security forces about three indivisuals breaking into an apartment." Master Shaak Ti's hologram said. "Cloths were stolen, along with some credits. Apparantly the residents were forced to let the suspects...use their shower."

"Jedi are being sent in teams of three to search that apartments quadrent and dozens more surrounding it. With security on high alert it should at least force them to hide for a short periord of time." Mace explained.

"Count on this, we cannot." Grandmaster Yoda said. "Capable, these three are."

"That's true, we can only hope they are found and captured soon." Obi Wan said.

"I fear capture will not be an option." Mace said, his words heavy.

To hear such things being said about Barriss was terrible for Luminara. In the past she knew her padawans death was a possibility and believed if that unfortunate time ever came she would grieve, but would not let such a loss stop her from fufilling her duties. But that was when the padawan could have died fighting by her masters side. The thought of her being hunted down and murdered as an enemy was heartbreaking.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this." Mace said to Luminara and Urr'ek. "But as their masters, we decided you had a right to know."

"But now you will tell us to remain here, isn't that right?" Urr'ek asked with his arms crossed.

"Correct, you are." Yoda answered. "Involved, you cannot be."

"We hope you can understand." Shaak Ti's hologram said sympathetically.

"I do." Luminara said, despite wanting to do everything she could for Barriss.

"As do I." Urr'ek said in a bitter manner. "And I think I've heard enough." He said as he turned to leave.

"Urr'ek." Mace said sternly to make Urr'ek stop. "No matter how much you may worry for Lhod, you must stay in this temple."

"To be honest..." Urr'ek said as he looked over his shoulder. "I'm more worried about the people around him." He said before walking away, Mace Windu was about to speak again, but Yoda told him no by just shaking his head.

"Time, Master Urr'ek needs." Yoda said. "Pain, he holds. For both his padawan and himself."

"Perhaps he just cannot understand why this is happening." Luminara said, but seemed to be reffering to herself more then Urr'ek.

"That may be, but it's far too late for Lhod or Barriss to be forgiven. Even if they are taken in alive, the punishment will likely be execution." Mace said, still being stern. "If that happens, he will have to accept it." He said with emphasis on the word he, making it clear who Mace was really talking about.

The councils thoughts on this matter were split. While some believed this was no time to show empathy towards Luminara and Urr'ek, others wished they could do more for them. They all noticed Luminara get choked up by Mace Windu's words, but some felt no need to console her.

"Please understand Luminara." Obi Wan said. "There is only so much we can..."

"I do." Luminara said in a hushed tone, interrupting Master Kenobi. "I know what must be done, and if Barriss dies I will accept it. All I would ask for is time to mourn." She said, looking from left to right to at everyone she was speaking to.

"You would be given it." Mace Windu said, his tone not so harsh. "I'm glad you understand the situation."

"Go, you may." Yoda said. "Inform you later, we will."

After bowing her head in respect, Luminara walked away from the council. She held no resentment for what was said, even Master Windu's words made sense. Barriss was now a legitimate threat to innocent people and no matter how much Luminara wanted to believe otherwise, it would be foolish to do so at this point. All she could do is go to her chamber, meditate and at the same time pray that her padawan would return alive.

(Coruscant, alleyway)

The streets were crowded, hundreds of people from dozens of species were out despite the recent warning of fugitives on the loose. This allowed Barriss and the two men with her to blend into the crowd, but also left them at risk of being seen by the public. Patrols of clones and security droids had already started a search, making the three escapees take shelter in an alley to decide their next move.

Barriss was keeping watch from behind a wall, she had seen two groups of patrols so far. A third group appeared and looked down the alley, but Barriss moved out of sight in time to avoid being caught.

"We can't stay here." Barriss said to Lhod and Sevrik.

Sevrik was standing next to her with his back against the wall. He had become very relaxed after his escape plan succeeded. While Barriss was carefully watching for authorities he was enjoying a piece of fruit that was bought with stolen. Lhod was sitting beside him, but had said little since their escape.

"Don't worry." Sevrik said with a mouth full of fruit. "We'll be moving soon.

"I hope you have some sort of plan." Barriss said.

"Of course." Sevrik replied. "First we help Lhod, then we acquire a ship and leave this planet."

"Just what do you mean by 'help' him?" Barriss asked.

"We made a deal." Lhod said plainly. "I help with escape, he gets me a new leg."

"Exactly." Said Sevrik. "It shouldn't take to long to find someone who can assist us."

"We don't have time for that." Barriss argued, which annoyed Lhod. "And even if we did, the credits you took aren't even enough for a basic prosthetic."

"Do you really think cost is a concern to us?" Serving asked with a devilish grin.

(Coruscant, Nobarr's Quality Repairs and Cybernetics)

The shop had been empty for some time, all the scheduled customers had come and gone. Nobarr, the yelliw skinned rodian owner had just finished polishing the robotic arms and legs in the display cases and was now enjoying a meal in his office. As a middle aged man who had worked for just about all his life, Nobarr made sure to enjoy every chance he had to unwind.

Unfortunately, his quiet time was cut short by the sound of his door opening. Nobarr reluctantly put his food away and walked out of his office to greet a Mirialan, a pantoran and a human male who was leaning against the wall beside the door.

"Welcome to Nobarr's." The owner said with fake enthusiasm. "How can I help you today?"

"Hello, our friend is in need of a new leg." The pantoran said politely while pointing at the humans obvious lack of a limb. "And we're hoping you can do this right away."

"I can set it up today." Nobarr said before looking at the human. "You wanna take a look at the options?"

"I'll take the best leg you have." The human replied.

"Alright, but the model isn't cheap." Nobarr said with his arms crossed. "Show me the credits and then I'll get to work."

"I'm sorry." The pantoran said as he reached into his coat. "But you won't be getting paid for this."

Nobarr had dealt with thugs before and was expecting to see a blaster, but when the pantoran  
revealed a lightsaber and turned it he was baffled. After an initial feeling of shock Nobarr realized who was in his shop and feared for his life.

"Y-Your the fugitives..." Nobarr said, his hands and words trembling.

"Correct. Now, about you helping our friend..." Sevrik said.

"O-Of course." Nobarr quickly replied. "I just need to prepare for the..."

As Nobarr spoke, his left hand moved down to his hip very slowly to avoid drawing attention to it. He had a small button on his belt that activated his shops alarm system. Unfortunately for him, Sevrik's keen eye noticed what Nobarr was trying to do and used the force to push the rodian into the wall behind him. Serving continued to push with force to make sure Nobarr was unable to move.

"Please...!" Nobarr said in a state of panic. "Please spare me!"

"I understand why you're afraid." Sevrik said. "But I promise, once you do what we ask we will leave you alone. Does that seem fair to you?"

A mix of emotions were stiring in Nobarr. He was afraid of what would happen if he refused but also angry that he was being forced to work for criminals.

"Fine...I'll do it." Nobarr said like a man defeated.

It wouldn't take long for Nobarr to get things ready. Lhod was laying down on a metal table in the back of the shop with a surgical droid standing beside him. Sevrik followed Nobarr as he was grabbing the prosthetic to make sure the old man wouldn't think about using his alarm again.

Barriss stayed by the door, she claimed it was to keep watch again but it was really to avoid having to watch her cohorts extort an old man.

Nobarr put the robotic leg on a cart and pushed it over to Lhod. It was sleek, bronze coloured prosthetic made with the latest technology. For lost it would cost quite a bit, but Nobarr knew he would be the one paying the price if he made a mistake.

"Alright..." Nobarr said after everything was set. "We just need to put you to sleep."

Nobarr picked up a a device that look like a breathing mask that was used to give patients anesthetic. When Lhod realized what it was he immediately grabbed Nobarr's wrist and squeeze it until he was forced to drop the device.

"No gas, just do it." Lhod said.

"But, the pain will be..." Nobarr tried to say before Lhod grabbed his shirt collar and put them face to face.

"Just do it." Lhod said angrily.

"Alright." Nobarr said while shaking his head and getting the prosthetic in position. "I tried to warn you."

After getting everything ready, Nobarr activated his surgical droid. The droid began to fuse the circuits in the robotics legs to Lhod's bones and nerve endings.

The initial pain was excruciating, but Lhod was still able to hold still as the operation continued.

After a few minutes, Sevrik got tired of hearing Lhod's agonized groans and left the room. He joined Barriss at the front of the store and noticed her displeasure.

"Is all of this bothering you?" Sevrik asked.

"No." Barriss said, trying to mask her feelings. "I'm just hoping we won't have to be here for to long."

"I see." Sevrik said, not buying it. "Don't be too concerned. Once Lhod is finished here we'll focus on finding a way off of coruscant."

"Then what?" Barriss asked. "Do we just go from planet to planet while the republic hunts us down?"

"We could, but I'd rather not." Sevrik replied. "I was planning on taking us to the one man who could appreciate our current predicament."

"And just who would that be?" Barriss asked, somewhat worried about the answer.

"Dooku." Sevrik said.

Barriss scoffed and turned away, just the thought of running to someone like Count Dooku for help was enough to make her sick.

"I know, you probably think he's just a power hungry tyrant." Sevrik said. "But I think you have more in common with him then you think."

"Like what?"Barriss asked rudely, still not looking st Sevrik.

"You both want the same thing, change. Did you ever consider Dooku's campaign was just one mans desire to make the galaxy a better place?" Sevrik asked, using his natural charisma to try and win her over.

"You can't fool me, Dooku is just..." Barriss said.

"A former Jedi who saw something wrong with, so he decided to take matters into his own hands." Sevrik said, putting his hand on Barriss's shoulder to make her turn and face him. "Doesn't that sound familiar?"

She didn't want to admit it, but Barriss could see the logic in Sevrik's argument. The Republic had always painted Count Dooku as a traitor and dictator. Perhaps that was just another lie to make their part in the war feel justified. It wouldn't surprise her, Barriss believed the republic was corrupt and a corrupt government would do whatever it takes to destroy someone's attempt at an uprising.

"Take your time, give it some thought." Debris said before walking away to check on Lhod.

Now alone again, Barriss had plenty to think about. Not just the possibility of meeting Count Dooku, but also whether or not everything happening right now was necessary.

(Jedi Temple, Luminara's chambers)

There was no further news on Barriss's whereabouts. Luminara wasn't sure if that was for the best or a cause to be even more concerned. Meditation only did so much to calm her nerves and every attempt to clear her mind left her with a perfect mental image of the padawn she knew before all of this madness started. She was lost in thought about the situation until she heard the door to her chambers open behind her.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you." Master Urr'ek said as he stood in the doorway.

"It's fine." Luminara replied. "Please, come in."

Urr'ek entered the room but nothing was said at first. Perhaps it was because they could relate to each other enough to have no need to talk about it.

"Did you have something to say?" Luminara asked to break the silence.

"Yes, I do." Urr'ek said as he walked past Luminara to look out her window. "No matter how much I try to do otherwise, I just keep looking out into the city and wondering where Lhod could be."

"I understand." Luminara said as she stood next to Urr'ek. "I've struggled to think about anything else."

"That won't change." Urr'ek said, still looking at the window. "Ever since that day, I've wondered what I could have done to help him. The council warned me such things could happen, and now more then ever I wonder if I should have listened."

"What kind of warnings?" Luminara asked.

"Lhod was past the allowed age for training." Urr'ek said after a long sigh. "But I saw potential and convinced the council to let me raise the boy. He enjoyed our time in the outer rim worlds, but I knew Lhod still missed his home. When the war began he pleaded with me to let him leave the order to protect his family, but I told him it was our duty to defend the entire galaxy." Urr'ek said, his words heavy with regret. "But then his world was attacked, and his family killed."

"And that is when he lost his way?" Luminara asked.

"His way, and himself." Urr'ek answered. "Everything Lhod used to be was replaced by anger and hate. He used that hate to kill Master Var Nul, and will likely take more lives if something is not done."

Luminara noticed Urr'ek's mood shift, his guilt changed to what seem to be determination. Seeing this made her realize that Urr'ek was not planning to stand by while Lhod was free.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Luminara asked with raises brow.

"Whoever finds Sevrik and our padawans will likely have to fight before they can be captured, but maybe Lhod and Barriss would listen to reason if they were approached by the right person." Urr'ek explained.

"So you plan to go after them." Luminara concluded.

"I do, and I would like you to accompany me." Urr'ek said.

The offer didn't surprise Luminara, but she was not sure what to think of it.

"I see." Luminara said. "So you're going to ignore the councils order?"

"If they are not found by someone else, I will pursue them. If doing so leads to me losing my place in the order, I will accept it." Urr'ek replied.

"I admire your commitment." Luminara said honestly.

"Whether we like it or not, Lhod and Barriss have always been our responsibility. We cannot just stand by while they cause harm to innocent people as well as themselves." Urr'ek said before turning towards the door. "I hope you agree, Master Unduli."

There was no response, so Urr'ek chose to leave and let Luminara decide for herself. Her opinion was split, wondering if doing as she was told was best or if she should listen to Urr'ek and take matters into her own hands. She would be thinking about this for some time and while Luminara pondered what to do next, Barriss would still being doing the same.


End file.
